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新东方济南学校孟炎老师带来5月20日托福考试口语复习范围，希望对备考的同学有所帮助。更多关于5月20日托福考前练习参考请戳》》》托福机经：2016年5月20日托福考试预测

高科技

1 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement, school should require all students to have their own laptops. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Personally, I think students should be required to own laptops. To begin with, students might need to write papers, and they can find reference on the internet easily, cuz they can just type the key words in the search engine, and the next moment they know, the answer shows up on the screen, and they basically can find reference on every topic, like technology, history, and even psychology. Also, they need to use lots of software to finish some assignments and projects, so the use of computer is inevitable. For example, I am an economics major, and I need to use statistical software to analyze data, obviously, I cannot do that without the computer.

2 教育

1 Some people prefer to write many short assignments for a semester, other prefer to write one or two long assignments for a semester. Which do you prefer? Explain why.

Personally, I prefer to write several short assignments instead of one or two long assignments. To begin with, I don't want to be overly stressed out when the big assignments are about to be due, long assignments are likely to be tough to deal with, actually, as the saying goes, "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket", by writing short assignments, I can spread the risk, also I will not be worn out, since short assignments are much easier to deal with. By doing assignment this way, I can avoid serious time conflict when other big projects are due at the same time together with the big assignments.

2 Some schools require students to finish a reading list during school breaks. Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this requirement.

Well, finishing a reading list can help students to learn different ways to express themselves, you know usually the reading list includes the classics of all times, most of the books are authored by the greatest writers, who might use different rhetoric to voice their opinions. However, the required reading list might not be suitable for every kid since kids have their likes and dislikes when it comes to the topics of these books. If they find it boring and meaningless, they might not even read the books they like in the future.

3 University education is more important now than it was in the past.

Personally, I couldn’t agree more with this statement, advanced education is more important than before. University education provides students with the tools and skills that are essential for them to be successful in their future career. In today’s competitive job market, without a decent college education one cannot find a decent job. Additionally, college educations can help to develop morality and values to live a good life and build up character to seek the truth and I think these qualities are very important to have in order to be a mature person.

4 Which of the following do you think is the most effective way of studying?

A Studying alone B Working with others in a group C Tasking assignments

Well, I think it the best way to learn is through working with others in a group. I am the kind of person who find theory based subjects are hard to learn, like math, physics and chemistry and I need to discuss with my friends in order to concentrate on the subject. They might offer some incisive approach for me to understand the material better. Additionally, it also helps to learn other subject like sociology and psychology and stuff. cuz, through discussion we can share our personal experience to shed some light on the stuff we are learning, I might have some new perspective and insights on the some psychological concepts.

5 Some people like to take less informative but interesting lectures, others like to take boring but more content rich lectures. Which do you prefer?

Well, personally I like to attend less informative but interesting lectures. Frankly, most of the lectures on campus are academic oriented and lots of topics are pretty boring, consequently one finds it hard to concentrate for a long time. However, if the lecture is interesting, I am motived to learn more about the topic. If the lecture itself is pretty boring, there will never be a chance for me to focus on the it for a long time. Eventually, even though it is very informative, however, I will not learn anything.

6 Some people make decisions depending on themselves, while others tend to refer to others for advice. Which do you prefer and why?

Actually, I prefer to refer to others for advice. First off, I can get advice from seniors, they have richer life experience than young people, including good and bad ones. By learning from their experience, we can avoid previous mistakes. Also, it teaches me to be a humble and modest person so I can hunker down and be successful. Most importantly, everybody needs assurance, or a better way to do things and someone out there is always better than you at something. For example, you can ask advice from a doctor if you have a medical condition, one can ask a professor for advice if you have a hard time to decide which topic to write about for a term paper.

7 Some people prefer to get advice from older people like their parents or grandparents. Others prefer to get advice from their peers of the same or similar age. What way do you prefer and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Actually, I prefer to get advice from older family members. To begin with, seniors have richer life experience than young people, including good and bad ones. By learning from their experience, we can avoid previous mistakes. Also, it teaches me to be a humble and modest person so I can hunker down and be successful. Additionally, young people and their peers are struggling with their own life, study and career and they don't have the same level of maturity as old people do. So based on these reasons, I think it is better to seek advice from seniors.

8 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as long as they grow old enough to do so. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Personally, I definitely think that children should do household tasks as soon as they are old enough. Lots of important qualities can be developed through such activities as doing housework. Children will learn to be a responsible person, and that is a like cornerstone for them to become a better person. On top of that, children will get a sense of achievement when competing the house chores, and their parents might even give them some reward like buy them toys or offer them some pocket money. Through such activities, children will be very determined and motivated when they do bigger projects in their adulthood and be successful.

3学生、学校、学习方法

1 Describe something that you thought was negative the first time you went to school, but turned out to be positive. Please include details in your response.

When I was in junior high, I had to learn English for the first time, and it was really hard for me to pick up at first. The words, grammar and sentence patterns are just so different from Chinese. But with the help of my English teacher, I gradually learnt some basic words and useful phrases, and I started practicing English with foreigner whenever I got a chance, the more I acquire, the more I am willing to learn and I put more effort and I am determined to be really good in English. Now, after so many years, I am still a big fan of the English language, and I cannot live a single day without it.

2 Do you agree or disagree that it is a good idea for university to ask a student to leave school if he was caught cheating in exams. Explain your response in details.

Well, I don't think it is a good idea to expel the kid when he or she is found cheating in exams. First off, students who cheat are not mature enough to tell right from wrong, they just simply made a tiny mistake, and everybody deserves a second chance to be better person, it is quite relentless to deprive their right to be educated, and they might be a very brilliant kid who just made a stupid mistake. In this case, it will a big loss.

3 Do you prefer to be a leading or supporting member in a group project? Give specific reasons and details in your answer.

Well, personally I like to be a leader when doing a group project. First off, I am a responsible person and I can manage our time efficiently. I know we should set a schedule and find time slots when everyone is available. I am very good in organizing time. Additionally, I think being a leader is a very good opportunity for me to learn. As a leader, I have to focus on the whole project instead of the interest of individual members, and I can also develop a lot of valuable skills, like leadership skills, social skills and stuff like that.

4 Some people speak out in class, others prefer to listen and quietly observe. Which do you think leads to greater success in school? Explain why you think so.

Well, I prefer to speak out in class. First off, by exchange ideas with my peers, we can find different solutions to the same problem, and also one needs to contribute to the class and observing quietly is not a good option. Speaking out in class can help to boost our confidence and develop presentation skills, and speaking to a large audience is absolutely a valuable skills, and it is going to be very helpful for one's future career. Additionally, speaking out and exchanging ideas with other can help me to connect more with my peers.

5 Some students prefer to study in a library. Others prefer to study at home or in dormitories. Which way do you prefer and why? Include reasons and details in your response.

I would say I'd like to study in the library. The most obvious reason is that it is very quiet in the library, and I can fully focus on your work and nothing can distract me. There are just too much distraction to study at home, I can lay on my bed and play computer games when I feel bored, it is just not that productive compared to studying in the library. Plus, studying in the library, I feel like people around me are also studying, and that is a motivation for me to concentrate on my own work. For these reasons, I would say I like to study in the library.

6 Talk about a subject you enjoy learning in school.

Well, English is the subject that I like most. I have great motivation to learn English, to begin with, I find English not very difficult to learn, and actually it is pretty easy to pick up. Unlike other subjects like math, physics, which are pretty abstract and boring to learn. It is very cool to be able to speak a foreign language, and I can make friends with people who are from distinctive cultural backgrounds, thus I got a chance to talk to foreigners and get to know their culture, customs and way of living. By interacting with them I can broaden my horizon and have new perspective on things, and I bet I can learn from them enormously.

6 Some students like to choose university with a high reputation but no scholarship, others prefer to choose a university with scholarship but less reputable. Which one do you like to choose?

Well, personally, I would prefer to study in a less well known university with a scholarship. To begin with, the university tuition can be really expensive, and getting scholarship can help me to relieve my financial pressure. Consequently, I can concentrate on my study. Additionally, most of the time, one needs to be research assistant or teaching assistant upon receiving the scholarship. These teaching and research experience will be very helpful for my future, like when I plan to apply for a graduate school and even future jobs, and I will get a better to achieve my dreams in the future.

7 Some people think that the best way to learn is to attend lectures. Others think that it is better to learn on their own. Which do you prefer and why?

Well, personally, I prefer to attend lectures. Actually, studying alone can be boring and I am the kind of person who likes to interact with others when learning. By attending lectures, I get a chance to hear multiple points of view, although some points might not be as thought-provoking, I can learn a lot of stuff beyond the textbooks anyway, and understand how an idea works in real life when other students share their personal experiences. Additionally, the professor who holds the lecture can make difficult and abstract concepts and ideas easy to understand, one might not be able to understand some materials when studying alone.

8 Do you like to buy new books or used books. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

I would say I prefer buying used books. As a college students, professors sometimes require students to buy textbooks, and most of the time, the textbooks can be really expensive, you might easily spend over $100 on a single book. That is a lot for a college kid. Additionally, most of the time used books are not that crappy, you can use it, and take notes on it and highlight the important part, it has no impact on your study at all. So based on these reasons, I find it more reasonable to buy used books at a cheaper price.

9 Some people like to listen to audio books, others like to read paper books. Which do you prefer and why?

Well, personally, I prefer to read paper books. It is true that one can listen to audio books practically everywhere. You can listen on the bus, or in bed before you fall asleep. However, I still prefer to read book myself since I can get more involved when reading myself. What I am trying to say is that the person who reads the audio book sometimes doesn't tell the story the way that I like. I mean I might not like the tone of their voice, and sometimes I find that I zone out and miss important parts of the book when I listen to audio books.

10 A friend of yours always gets up late in the morning and misses his morning classes. The professor has told him that this behavior will affect his grade. What advice would you give him and why?

Personally, I would suggest him sleep early, actually he should go to bed before 10 o'clock, and then he can take a good rest, hence the next day he can go to the class refreshed. Additionally, I would say he should talk to the professor and ask him or her if it is possible for him to make up the absence in another way, like doing an extra credit assignment and I bet if he is sincere enough, the professor will understand his tough situation and might say yes to him, so eventually he can keep a higher GPA.

11 Which of the following activities should the university give rewards to its high performance? (1). Volunteer service (2).Athletic achievement (3). Academic performance

Well, personally, I would say school should reward students who are active in doing social volunteer work. Actually, university is not merely about sports and academics, and frankly, we have paid too much attention in these areas and it seems like we downplay the importance of volunteering. Voluntary activities should be a big part of university life, one should be compassionate about others, especially the unlucky ones. One will feel like they are needed by the community and having something to offer back to society gives them a sense of purpose.

5地点

1 When you take a trip, do you prefer to just look around, or do you prefer to take pictures and keep a journal on the trip?

Well, personally, I prefer to take pictures and keep a journal when traveling. First off, taking photographs to record the sceneries and the people you have met during the trip can be great reminisce of the past. I can write down my personal thoughts and what I learned about yourself and about the world. Having a record of your travels is going to come in handy when you’re senile and your grandkids want to know about your life. Additionally, Your journal can be a detailed itinerary, so when your friend asks for advice on a place you visited, you can pull out your journal and actually help instead of saying, “it was so long ago, I don’t remember!”

2 Between the following two places, where would you choose to live?

1. big and new place but far from your workplace and/or university

2. small and old place but near your workplace and/or university

Personally, I'd like to live in a bigger place that is far away from my workplace. Actually, a bigger place far away from my workplace is more likely to be in the suburb than otherwise, and I am the kind of person who like peace and tranquility. I want to get away from the noise and pollution, and I hate the hustle and bustle of the city. Working in the downtown areas all day along is boring, and I want to escape from these concrete jungle and live far away. You know since my workplace is located in the downtown areas, I just want to get away from that place and find somewhere that is far away.

3 Some people spend their vacation in one place. Others prefer to spend their vacation visiting several different places and spending a shorter amount of time in each of these places.

Which do you prefer and why. Personally, I would like to travel around in different place instead of just staying in one place. I am the kind of person who likes new and exciting things and exploration. If I stay in one place, I will get extremely bored, you know, the scenery of one place is just repetitive, and there is nothing new. On top of that, by traveling around to different places, I can be exposed to different cultural elements. When traveling around different places, I got a chance to talk to locals and get to know their culture, customs and way of living. By interacting with them I can broaden my horizon and have new perspective on things.

6人物

1 Which one of the following qualities do you think is the most important for a university student: highly-motivated, hard-working or intelligent?

Well, I think hard-work is the most important quality for a college student. To begin with, intelligence is mostly inherited from your parents, and we have no control over it. However, hard work is applicable to everyone, because it is not inborn. Hard work can be developed unlike intelligence. Additionally, a college student with high intelligence but lacks of hard-work might not graduate since students are overwhelmed with lots of assignment like, group project, researcher papers and exams and stuff. If they don't work hard and put things off, they won't meet the graduation requirement.

2 Describe a family member who has a different personality from you and explain why?

I would say my dad has a totally different personality from me. I am very passionate and optimistic person, and I like constantly taking challenges in my life and doing something that I have never experienced before, like studying abroad. However, my dad is a quite conservative person, he would never do something that will make him stand out, and frankly, he is kind of pessimistic and sometimes cynical about the world, specifically, he would complain about negative things in life instead of thinking on the bright side.

7 休闲、艺术、音乐

1 Talk about two singers or musicians and the differences between them. Include examples and details in your response.

Well, I would like to talk about Bob Dylan and Avril. Bob Dylan can write very poetic lyrics, actually he is the Nobel Prize laureate for literature in 2016. and his songs are generally folklore, which are very peaceful and quiet. When I listen to his music, I feel like I can concentrate better and follow my heart. However, Randy Rhoad is a rock star, his songs are very catchy but they are very disturbing, Lots of his heavy metal music focuses on thrashing guitars, frantic drumming and insane lyrics.

2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Artists and musicians are important to the society.

Personally, I would say artists and musicians play a very important role in our community. First off, people nowadays are inundated with heavy workloads, regardless what kind of job they have, actually, they need to switch off from their work and take some time to appreciate art and music, like watching a movie, or going to see a musical, and that'll will help them to relax and calm down, and even to refresh their mood. Additionally, the work by artists and musicians have enormous monetary value, like the masterpiece of Beethoven, the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, not only are they great assets to the country where it originated, but also are invaluable treasure for the whole human race.

3 Describe your least favorite music. Please explain the reason.

Well, actually, this is a very interesting question and I haven't really thought about it before. Frankly I am kind of into all kinds of music, but if I have to answer this question. I would say Heavy Metal is my least favorite type of music. You know, most metal music focuses on thrashing guitars, frantic drumming and insane lyrics. For me, the only reason to listen to music is to get away from my busy life and study and get a chance to switch off, unfortunately, heavy metal is just doing the opposite.

4 Some people believe that the high school should teach music and art as other basic science. Some people think that providing music and art education for high school students is not necessary. What is your opinion and why?

Personally, I think high school students should learn art and music. Actually, it can be very rewarding to learn some art, like kids will understand how to appreciate delicate artwork, such as, porcelain vase, water color painting, sculpture. Plus, art is the expression of the humanity. Without it, we would have no hope, no aspirations, no joy, just nothing meaningful and enlightening, and one can never underestimate the value of art and music, actually, If you try any form of art, you will get a break from the stresses of life, work and study!

5 Do you agree or disagree with the statement: employees should be prohibited to listen to music at work.托福成绩单

Well, personally, I think it's a very bad idea to prohibit music in workplace. Actually, listening to music is a very good way for people to release their negative emotions, like sadness, or sorrow, or even anger. Employees might forget about the pressure in life and thus have a higher efficiency in the workplace. Additionally, music keeps people refreshed and spurs creativity and innovation. So, that is why it is a common practice for high-tech to allow the play of music in their office, just so that they can create a relaxing environment and be more creative, and thus make more breakthroughs in their field.

6 Describe the book you like the most when you were a child.

Well, the book I like best when I was a child was the Sea And the Old Man, authored by Ernest Hemingway. It was a novel, and it is very educating and enlightening, I learned a lot from reading this book. The storyline is like this：the old man had not landed any fish in 84 days in a row, finally on the 85th day he landed marlin, unfortunately, on his way back home, he marlin was towed away by some sharks. Even though, he only got back the bones of the marlin, however, he was really the winner; never give up in face of hardships, setbacks, barriers in our lives

8 政府社会类

1 Agree or disagree: Zoos are useful than harmful to animals.

Personally, I couldn't agree more that zoos help to protect animals rather than harm them. To begin with, some animals might live in really harsh environment, like the Arctic region, Sahara deserts, and even in extremely dry areas. However, the zoo can be a very good place to shelter such animals, and they can live in a clean and comfortable environment with abundant food to feed themselves. Additionally, by keeping animals in the zoos, citizens, especially the younger generation will get a chance to closely observe them, thus they will know the animals better, hopefully, this can raise their awareness to protect endangered species.

2 Describe a serious problem that your country is facing. Explain why it is so serious.

Personally, I think environment pollution is an enduring problem that we have today. Vehicle emission and poisonous gas discharged by factories are major factors causing the air pollution. Sometimes, the smog and haze in big cities are so serious that people can barely breathe. Actually, haze and fog have negative impact on people’s mood and citizens suffer from dizziness and depression when they suffer from serious haze several days in a row. Also, haze and fog can cause a series of diseases, like heart disease, stroke, respiratory illnesses, birth defects and cancer.

3 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Wealthy people should be required to help poor people.

I disagree that rich people should split their wealth with the poor. Firstly, one's wealth should only be acquired according to the work he has done, People should not be given things they don't deserve. Everything happens for reason. It is the same with people's wealth. Redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor causes unfairness. This might cause social instability. Secondly, split the wealth of rich people to the poor people is just a convenient way to make the wealth of the society seem more evenly distributed. But it cannot work out in the long-run. the government should develop comprehensive welfare system for the society to make it work.

4 Agree or disagree: Life is better now than the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Personally, I cannot agree more with that. To begin with, advanced technology has made lots of impossible things possible, like now it takes only less than one hour to travel over 300 miles by express train. In the past, it might take you a whole day. Now, with the express train, we can save lots of valuable time. Plus, with increasing income, more people have access to nutritional food, like, salmon, tuna, shrimp and stuff like that. They are high in protein, low in carbs.

9 环境类

1 Some schools require students to take part in community service activities after school. Which of the following do you think is the best activity for students? 1. Planting flowers in the community 2.doing clean-ups in the garden 3. recycling waste.

If I got a chance to do some community service, I would like to choose to clean the garden. Well, in my city, people do not really pay attention to environment protection. There are rampant littering, and spitting everywhere. The garden is supposed to be place where citizens can have fun and get some relaxation. Unfortunately, it is not very neat and clean. I would like to make it a better place for community members to enjoy themselves, and by consciously participating this kind of activity, hopefully, I can influence my friends and strangers around me so that they will be aware that environment protection is really urgent.

2 Your school is going to help the community. Which of the following would you prefer? 1) clean litters and trash 2)plant trees and flowers 3)teach children knowledge about the environment.

Personally, I would like to teach children knowledge about environment. To begin with, it helps to cultivate kids' environment awareness at an early age, so when they grow up, they will definitely do something to protect the environment, like they will turn off the faucet after using the water and not waste any water, categorize the trash, not litter around. Plus, it is the younger generations' responsibility to protect the environment, and make the world a better place for people to live in. Additionally, kids are very interesting to be around, and it is great fun to interact with them, since they are very naive and adorable, therefore one can forget about their pressure in life and study.

10家庭、朋友 (活动类)

1 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement, it is better to live close to parents than far away from them.

Personally, I prefer to live close to my parents for the following reasons. To begin with, I am family person, and I enjoy spending time with my families. Spending some quality time once in a while is very important to me, and living close to my parents can help to do that more conveniently. Plus, if we live close to each other, we can constantly look out for one another. Like if I got sick or have some kind of emergencies, my parents can attend me in a timely manner. Also, they are getting old, and they need my immediate care, things can be much easier if I live close to them.

2 Describe a time when you did something that you had never done before and explain what happened. Please include specific examples and details in your explanation.

Well, I would like to talk about my first vacation on a beach with the whole family. I still remember that the scenery there was so different from that of my city, we drunk some coconut while appreciating the beautiful scenery along the seashore, like the banana trees and palm trees and stuff. We tried out the sea food like salmon, tuna and even some lobsters, it was from that time that I fell in love with seafood. Apart from that, the most exciting stuff I did when visiting this nice and beautiful city was sea and water activities like snorkeling, wakeboarding and even jet skiing with my dad. Even though I remembered that I got a little sun, it was well worth it.

2 Some people like travel alone. Others prefer to travel with their family. Which do you prefer and why? Please include reasons and details in your response.

I would say I like to travel with my families. It is a great way for me to connect with my family members. To be more specific, we have shared responsibilities in this process, I can book the hotel and my brother can check out the flight information. In this process, sometimes we have to accommodate to others' preference and interest and make concession for others. Additionally, spending some quality time with families is a big part of one's life. Research shows that those who have strong connections with their families can be more productive in a working environment.

3 What are the benefits of talking to older family members?

Actually, by talking to older family members, there are lots of benefits not only to ourselves, but also to seniors. To begin with, senior have richer life experience than young people, including good and bad ones. By learning from their experience, we can avoid previous mistakes. Also, it teaches me to be a humble and modest person so I can hunker down and be successful. Plus, seniors get lonely easily, and by interacting with them, they will feel a sense of belonging to the family and that there are someone out there who care about them.

11健康

1 What food should your school cafeteria add to attract more students?

Currently, the cafeteria just offers junk food, like French fries, fried chickens, and hash brown, and stuff, and these kind of food are very greasy, it is bad for students' cardiovascular system. To attract more students, I would suggest the cafeteria add some healthy food like vegetables, you know, like salad, tomatoes, and broccoli. Also, students need to absorb enough nutrient needed for the day to concentrate on the class, I would suggest cafeteria offer some sea food, like salmon, tuna, shrimp and stuff like that. They are high in protein, low in carbs. These food are actually easy to cook, they can just steam them, and offer the seafood with some limes or lemon juice.

12职业类

1 Police officer, transportation worker, building designer, which do you think is the most important to a city.

I would say police is the most important job to a city, though they do not really get paid that much, what they do is very essential to the community. They prevent lawbreaking behaviors, like robbery, burglary, and even speeding, they hunt down criminals and preserve the safety of the community. Plus, you can call police officers for help, like when you neighbor is very noisy and you feel like you are disturbed, they also help to address common complaints like that. That is basically why I think police is the most important job in these three professions.

13技能类

1 Your friend often feels nervous when speaking in front of a large group of people. What suggestions would you like to give to this friend of yours?

I would suggest my friend write up a nice script so that he will know what he is going to present, and this ensures that the material he is going to deliver is of the first class. Then he needs to practice the speech in front a mirror, checking his body language and facial expression, which are very important to convey his emotions. He also can find any problem and make some changes accordingly. Mostly importantly, he should make eye contact with the audience and be confident, take a deep breath and calm down, and this helps him to avoid stage fright.

3 If you have a chance to learn something new, which of the following would you like to learn? Flying an airplane, playing a sport or playing an musical instrument.

I would definitely choose to play a new sport. I find it very relaxing when I play sports, it helps me to release my tension and depression that I got from both my life and study. Apart from that, playing sports is a very good way to keep healthy and try to be in good shape. It helps me to build up some muscles and be athletic, it is also good for my cardio vascular system. Lastly, I get a chance to meet new friends and broaden my social network when playing a sport, getting to know different people is a very thrilling experience for me.

4 Your community center now offers classes on the weekends for free, which of the following class you will choose to take, give reason to explain your choice. 1) A financial course to help you manage money 2) car maintenance and repair 3)Review of Latin-American music

I would say I like to take a financial course, cuz, it is very important for someone to be financially independent and manage their money efficiently, by going to a financial course one can learn lots of stuff, like when it is the right time to invest in stocks, or to buy gold, also, I can even understand the overall economic condition of the country. Recently, a friend told me that he signed up an on line cours on how to make wise investment in stock market, and he followed the instructions, and it turned out that he made a very good call by buying the stock from a company, which was recommended in the class, and made a big killing in it.

14生活方式

1 Some people think wearing fashionable clothes is important, while others not. Which do you agree with and why? Use details and examples to explain your opinion.

Well, I think wearing fashionable is the least important. Some of the fashionable outfit are totally ridiculous and also fashion dates easily. There are important reasons not following fashion, for me, I am overwhelmed by different kinds of assignment like presentations, problem sets, papers and sometime they have to stay up late to cram for exams. Actually, following the fashion can be very time consuming. Additionally, it costs of a lot of money. For example, a designer outfit can you as much as a few hundred dollar, and I just cannot afford that.

2 When learning to use a new product, some people prefer to read the instruction manual. Others prefer to figure out how to use the product on their own. Which do you prefer and why? Give details and examples to support your response.

Well, I think it really depends on the nature of the product. For example, if the product is a computer, a camera or a smart phone, I think it is a good idea to read the instruction manual and follow the instructions. These kinds of high tech gadgets are fairly complicated to operate and without proper knowledge, one might not even know how to get it function right. On the other hand, for products like vacuum cleaner, can opener, or a rice pot, I think it is okay not to read the manual since these kind of products are easy to operate.

3 Which of the following types of book you do not enjoy, science fiction, biography, or history book? Explain why you do not enjoy it.

Personally, I prefer to read science fictions. Generally speaking, the plot line is very interesting and when I read a sci-fi, I find time irrelevant and I totally forget about the time. I tune everything out around me and am so attracted in the storyline and I feel tied up to the character in the novel. I feel like the characters in the novel connect to me so much that nothing could hold me back from reading it until I finish the novel. On the other hand, history books can be very boring to read, you know, there are just figures, dates, and certain places. I just find it hard for me to concentrate when reading history books.

4 Which of the following three do you think is the most important for a great working environment? Friendly coworkers, flexible hours or a helpful boss?

Personally, I think friendly coworkers are the most important factor for a great working environment. In a professional setting, one needs to cooperate with others in order to finish a task. For instance, the technician need to work together with the salesperson so that he can make some changes to the product, making sure the product is user friendly to customers. Therefore, it is really crucial to work with people who are friendly and easygoing. Additionally, friendly coworkers tend to provide timely assistance and relevant training to you when you are in trouble handling daily business operation.

5 Nowadays, 'quiet cars' can be found on trains, in which people are forbidden to use their cell phones, computers, or talk loudly. What is your opinion about this policy?

Personally，I think it is a very good policy. First off, trains are a public place that belongs to every tax payer. People tend to read books, watch video on their tablets, or even read newspapers. Moreover, taking the train can be really appealing, one can enjoy the beautiful view outside of the window. All you have to do is just to sit back and relax while appreciating the beautiful scenery. It doesn’t matter what the passengers want to do on train, most of them need a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, therefore, it is essential to provide quiet cars for passengers and those who want to chit chat with one another are free to choose non-quiet cars to talk.

6 Some people prefer to wash dishes by a dish washer. Others prefer to wash dishes by hands. Which do you prefer and why?

Personally, I prefer to wash dishes by the dish washer. First off, washing dishes by hand can be very time-consuming, as a college student, budgeting my time effectively is a top priority, you know I can use the time saved to concentrate on study like, prepare for exams, do presentations, do group projects, and stuff. Obviously, washing dishes by a dish washer can help me to save time. Additionally, dish washer is very user-friendly, one can just put the dirty dished in the dish washer and squeeze some detergent and turn on the button and then the machine will take care of it. It is very efficient to get rid of stains, leftover, and even spaghetti sauce.

7 Which do you prefer? Card game or computer game? Please include specific reasons and details in your response.

Personally, I prefer card games. To begin with, it is more interactive, someone is around when you are playing the card game, and actually it is a great to spend quality time with friends and family members. It bring me and friends closer, it helps me to bond with them. However, lots of people got addicted to computer games and end up wasting their previous time, and sitting in front of the computer all day alone can jeopardize your health and your eyesight.

8 Which of the following volunteer work would you choose and why?

(1) Working as a home tutor

(2) Helping adults to read

(3) Providing transportation for elder people

Personally, I would like to work as a home tutor for the following reasons. First off, I am a fairly good student in school and I am sure with my solid background in academics I can help kids a lot, like finish their homework, teach them basics in math and science and stuff like that. Additionally, helping the kids to better cope with school and school work can be very rewarding to me. Actually, some kids are struggling with their schoolwork and some of them are not confident when it comes to school. By working as a home tutor, I am sure my first hand experience will be useful to them and I will get a strong sense of achievement if I can help kids to deal with school issues.

9 Do you prefer to live alone or live with others.

Personally, I prefer to live alone. Actually, I am a very private person, most of the time, I keep things to myself. I would get distracted if I chose to live with others who I might not be familiar with. Actually, I am highly efficient when I do things without the disturbance of others, like when I study I feel more comfortable when nobody is around me. Plus, someone you are living with might have totally different habits and schedule when it comes to when to study or sleep or even watch TV. It would be really disruptive when one wants to study while the other prefers to watch TV.

10 If your friend has unexpectedly received a large amount of money, what would you suggest him/her to do with the money and why? Please include details and examples in your explanation.

Personally, I would advice my friend to make some wise investment, to begin with, the inflation in my home country is pretty serious, it doesn't make any sense to deposit the money in the bank. He should invest the money into buying some gold, real estate, cuz the real estate in my country maintains such a strong momentum, I bet he can make more money out of this. Additionally, he can also invest the money to assist lots of start-ups, and he should invest in several start-ups in different industries so as to avoid risk.

11 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Happiness comes when we help others rather than ourselves? Explain why. Please include details and examples in your explanation.

Personally, I totally agree with this idea and happiness does come when we give others a helping hand. To begin with, sometimes, we can become very good friends after helping each other out, and by making friends with new people we will be better connected. Actually, research shows that people are generally happier if they are better connected with others. Additionally, one can get a strong sense of achievement when helping others out, and people should be compassionate about others instead of just thinking about themselves, otherwise they are too selfish, and selfish people are not happy.

12 Your friend is always late for group events, what suggestions do you have for him?

I would have he following suggestions, first off, he should plan things ahead and do things as early as possible. For example, if you have an appointment with a friend, try to be 10 or 15 minutes early and use the time for a specific activity, such as writing notes to people, reading a novel, or catching up with friends on the phone. This strategy can help convert dreaded wait time into time that is productive and pleasurable, and this gives one an incentive to be on time.

13 Some people prefer to make detailed plans for the future. Others prefer to concentrate on present things and don't make any plans at all. Which way do you prefer? Please use specific reasons to support your answer.

Well, personally, I prefer to make plans about things in life. To begin with, if I don't make plans ahead of time, there will be obvious drawbacks. It might throw me off my tight schedule, you know, as a college student, sometimes, I am overwhelmed with all kinds of assignment, like presentations, group projects and stuff. Additionally, if I don't make a plan, things might not work in a way I want it to be. For example, if I just randomly decide to travel together with my friends without careful planning, we might not even have a hotel to live in since it might be booked out. So, we'd better make a plan, book the hotel and figure out the itinerary.

14 Describe a character in a book, film, or poem, explain why you like him or her. Please use specific details.

I would like to talk about the main character in movie Forest Gump. Actually, the movie stars Tom hanks. This movies won many Oscar awards and it is regarded as one of the greatest movies of all times. Forest Gump is a simple minded person, and he only got an IQ of 75, which is way below average. Despite of the setback, he is actually a very optimistic person, as can be show in the catchphrase, My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. The movie depicts a period span 30 years, and in these many years, Forest Gump achieved fame and financial success, of course, it is not possible for him to achieve that without his determination, willpower and perseverance.

9 What kind of job will you choose? To choose a job through which you can get a lot of money or to choose a job through which you can get great personal satisfaction? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Personally, I prefer to take a job that gives me great personal satisfaction. Money is not the most important motivation for me even though I need to pay my utility bills and all other living expenses. Cuz, one has to work on a profession for a few decades before retirement, a job with high salary might not be the one you really like. One might suffer from constant depression and pressure doing that kind of job and it will be detrimental to both their physical and psychology healthiness. The truth is that one get bored and fed up with the job if your greatest motivation is money, after all, the experience is more valuable than salary.

15 Some people prefer to live in places where climate does not change very much, while others prefer to live in places where climate changes with seasons. Which one do you prefer? Why?

Personally, I like to live in a place where there are distinctive seasons, cuz I enjoy the characteristics of every single season, it will be really boring just living in the same season without any change. In spring, the weather is mild, I got to enjoy the breeze when I do some jogging, it is warm enough and not being sickly hot, and in fall, the landscaping is beautiful with the colorful leaves. If you ever got a chance to pass a farm with peaches trees and tomatoes, you can smell the freshness of the fruit, plus, I can get a chance to enjoy the snow during winter, like do some snow skiing, and stuff, that will be great fun.

16 Your friend has to work a lot. Please suggest a hobby him to help him spend his weekend in a more delightful way. Explain why. Please include details and examples in your explanation.

Personally, I suggest him or her play group sports, cuz there are actually lots of benefits, to begin with, one can stretch his or her body, and that is very good to one's cardio vascular system, and it is a great way to relax and have fun. By playing sports, one can develop the coordination of different parts of the body and be athletic. Additionally, one can socialize with their peers and make new friends. One can also learn the importance of cooperation and responsibility when playing team sports, they can struggle together for a common goal.

作者介绍：

 

孟炎，新东方托福(TOEFL)口语优秀主讲师，毕业于密苏里大学哥伦比亚分校，经济学硕士，SAS高级程序员。托福116分，其中听力、口语满分。 GRE一次性获得1330(老G)，2008年外研社全国大学生英语竞赛特等奖 (全省仅4人)，演讲比赛优胜奖; 全额奖学金获得者，曾在经济系任研究生助教教授美国本科生经济学课程。