第一大误区是先Beat around the bush,再渐渐切入正题,最后才做出较为精准的总结。这显然与以汉语为母语的语言交流习惯有关,这在平时的一般交流中或许不那么致命,甚至有些英语为母语的人平时讲话也有这种习惯,但是在一分钟甚至是45秒的答题时间里这样做,就无异于浪费宝贵的答题时间,将60秒或45秒的可用来得分的空间缩小到30秒甚至是20秒,使整个答案的质量大打折扣。

　　第二大误区是毫无计划地想到哪,说到哪,甚至中途改变主意,否定前面所说内容,做出一个自相矛盾的答案。对于ETS的命题者来说,这两种误区都恰恰暴露了中国学生没有受过系统的Presentation训练的弱点。要知道,在西方特别是北美,这是一项从中小学就开始注重培养的跨学科的综合技能。

　　那么怎样才可以避免以上两种误区呢?下面就结合新托福口语的三大题型分别作以解析:

　　一。独立回答题:

　　Describe a class you have taken in school and explain why the class was important to you. Include details and examples to support your explanation.

　　Preparation time: 15 seconds

　　Response time: 45 seconds

　　阅读题干应该在5秒内完成,这样就能保证在答题之前有20秒的时间(包括narrator读题时间)进行brain-storming.有关在学校上过的一门课的重要性不外乎从以下几个方面来叙述。

　　第一,这门课对于其它后续课的奠基作用。第二,所积累的知识对于今后实际运用的指导作用。第三,对于个人综合素质及品位的提高。

　　为什么要分成这么多点论述呢?因为如果只就一个要点深入阐述,很容易走题或者进入一个英语无法表达的死角;同时分成若干点还便于控制时间。比如这道题目的45秒答题时间可以分配给每个分点10秒,这样就不会过早或者过晚地完成整个答题的语言结构。

　　至于选什么课来说则遵循什么容易就讲什么的原则,这是因为托福口语考试和ETS其它考试一样是不需要任何专业背景的知识的。因此,考生大可以谈一些中学里学过的主课,如数学,语文和外语,而避免谈大学里的专业课,如生物,化学及各类工程类课程等。

　　在开始答题的时候,应首先说出一句Topic Sentence 点出这门课的名称。如果准备不是很充分,为了避免出现答题空白,可以附带交代这门课的背景信息,如何时选修的,哪位教授任课,但一定要控制在10秒以内。这种技能叫Skill of Buying Time.随后,三条理由依次列出,切不可忘记Important是论述的核心,千万不能无意中转而强调这门课Difficult或Interesting.

本题参考答案:

　　In my previous studies at college, there are quite a few importance courses and one of the most important one of them, if I had to choose one, would be Calculus. Well, as I am an engineering major, in my curriculum there are many courses requiring complicated calculation, equation deduction and math model building. All these need knowledge in calculus as a foundation. Besides, mastery of some quantitative analysis methods will greatly benefit my ability to make a sensible judgment in a complex situation in workplace, no matter what job I'll take up in the future. Finally, without a good sense of advanced mathematics, I will not be able to appreciate the beauty of symmetry in many artistic forms.

　　二。读听后回答题

　　Reading Time: 45 seconds

　　Announcement from the president The university has decided to increase tuition and fees for all students by approximately 8 percent next semester. For the past 5 years, the tuition and fees have remained the same, but it is necessary to increase them now for several reasons. The university has many more students than we had five years ago, and we must hire additional professors to teach these students. We have also made a new commitment to research and technology, and will be renovating and upgrading our laboratory facilities to better meet our students' needs.