新托福的口語(yǔ)考試大約30分鐘，共有6道題目，一般稱(chēng)作Speaking Tasks 1-6。如果把它們進(jìn)行分組的話(huà)，正好兩兩每組：Speaking Task 1 and Speaking Task 2為一組，解題關(guān)鍵詞是characteristics（特性、特質(zhì)）；Speaking Task 3 and Speaking Task 5為一組，解題關(guān)鍵詞是campus（校園）；而Speaking Task 4 and Speaking Task 6歸入最后一組，解題關(guān)鍵詞是class（課堂）。
Characteristics: Speaking Task 1
第一題和第二題除了都是關(guān)于一些familiar topics以外，它們另一個(gè)共通之處就是涉及到人或事物的characteristics。比如在Speaking Task 1里面，you will be asked to describe an important book. 具體題目見(jiàn)下：
Talk about a book you have read that was important to you for some reason.
Explain why the book was important to you. Give specific details and examples to explain your answer.
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Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Response Time: 45 seconds
針對(duì)這樣的題目，你談什么樣的書(shū)其實(shí)并不重要。關(guān)鍵在于你說(shuō)出了這本書(shū)之后，給出怎樣的合理解釋?zhuān)搭}目要求中的specific details and examples，而這些東西就是我們所說(shuō)的characteristics。換言之，你把這本書(shū)的三大特性描述出來(lái)，就等于給出了相應(yīng)的細(xì)節(jié)和例證。請(qǐng)看下面的列表：
The reasons why the book was important
Reason 1 = Characteristic 1: It gave me a lot of practical guidance
Reason 2 = Characteristic 2: It had a lot of illustrations to help me understand
Reason 3 = Characteristic 3: There was an interesting theoretical framework in the book
在三大理由（或三大特性）中，我們分別給其中的核心要點(diǎn)加了斜體和下劃線(xiàn)，這就是考生們必須在15秒鐘的準(zhǔn)備時(shí)間內(nèi)記下的最簡(jiǎn)單的筆記。沒(méi)有這三點(diǎn)，想要在后面的45秒鐘回答時(shí)間內(nèi)進(jìn)行良好的發(fā)揮，是一件異常困難的事情。
09年中國(guó)大陸地區(qū)的第一場(chǎng)考試發(fā)生在2009年1月10日。其中第一題的大意是：When it comes to choosing friends, which characteristic do you think is the most important: honesty, loyalty or sense of humor? 回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題有兩種策略：一個(gè)是老實(shí)人的辦法，一個(gè)是聰明人的招數(shù)。我們先看題目在問(wèn)什么，很明顯，題目要求我們從三種特性中選出一種，是在擇友過(guò)程中最重要的。老實(shí)人的辦法就是老老實(shí)實(shí)地選一個(gè)，比如honesty（誠(chéng)實(shí)），然后根據(jù)honesty再來(lái)展開(kāi)三個(gè)論據(jù)（或舉例或抽象描述）：
Plan A
Honesty is the most important characteristic in choosing friends
Reason 1: True friends should never lie to each other
Reason 2: Being honest to your friends is the best way to maintain a long-term relationship
Reason 3: A dishonest person will eventually hurt you and your family
顯然，此類(lèi)針對(duì)honesty而擴(kuò)展的抽象論證并非每一個(gè)考生力所能及的事情，因?yàn)檫@種老實(shí)人的辦法往往難度較高，只適合那些語(yǔ)言功底扎實(shí)和思路敏捷的人。雖然這種策略比較容易拿高分，其風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也是較大的。
那么聰明人的招數(shù)是什么呢？聰明人通常不按常理出牌，他們會(huì)尋覓一種捷徑，以非常討巧的方式來(lái)滿(mǎn)足題目的要求。聰明人看到題目本身就含有三大特性，他們一見(jiàn)機(jī)遇就趕緊抓�。�
Plan B
These three characteristics are equally important when choosing friends
Characteristic 1: Honesty – Only people who are honest to one another can become real friends.
Characteristic 2: Loyalty – A faithful friend can lend you a helping hand when you are in trouble.
Characteristic 3: Humor – A person with a great sense of humor is often friendly and easy-going.
明眼人一看就知道，后一種策略的難度大大地降低了，因?yàn)槊恳粋�(gè)特性只要展開(kāi)一個(gè)論據(jù)就行了，是一種取巧的方法�？赡苡腥藭�(huì)問(wèn)，這算不算off topic呢？考官會(huì)不會(huì)認(rèn)為你沒(méi)有回答到位呢？答案是否定的，因?yàn)槿筇匦酝瑯又匾那闆r當(dāng)然會(huì)存在，所以依次展開(kāi)也無(wú)可厚非。其實(shí)從另一個(gè)角度看，聰明人有時(shí)也會(huì)碰到麻煩，比如其中講某個(gè)特性的單詞不認(rèn)識(shí)（比如loyalty），導(dǎo)致無(wú)法在這上面展開(kāi)，這時(shí)候只有退而求其次，講其中的兩大特性很重要（honesty and sense of humor are both very important）。
綜上所述，Speaking Task 1的特性描述是極為關(guān)鍵的一種訓(xùn)練方法。朗閣海外考試研究中心建議大家備考時(shí)，特別針對(duì)Person, Place, Thing, Event這四種出題的可能性來(lái)列出一些常見(jiàn)的characteristics，其中關(guān)于人的特性尤其重要，因?yàn)樵谛?a target="_blank" class="infotextkey">托福口語(yǔ)考試中不止一次地考到Describe a good parent, Describe a good leader, Describe a good teacher之類(lèi)的題目，要求都是描述人物的各種特性，希望考生們多多準(zhǔn)備。
最后我給出三道Speaking Task 1的模擬題，大家可以列一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)要的回答提綱。
Choose one of your favorite methods of relaxing and explain why you like it best.
Please include specific details in your explanation.
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Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Response Time: 45 seconds
What is the most important quality that a good neighbor should have?
Please give specific reasons to support your idea.
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Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Response Time: 45 seconds
What is the best way for you to make friends?
Please give specific reasons to support your idea.
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Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Response Time: 45 seconds |
