TOEFL iBT

ターゲットを選択する前に要件を確認する

学生が「全体で5」と見て、コースの言語要件の読み取りを止める。 次の行には「各セクションで最低限4.5が必要」とある。 全体での5は、4つのセクションのすべてに基準点があることを示すものではない。 慎重な準備は、要件全体を読むことから始まる。

この補足資料は、既存の概要に独自の解法付き決定事例を追加する。 以下のすべてのプログラム、スコアプロファイルおよび練習例は架空である。 これらは情報の確認方法を教えるものであり、大学入学の助言や公式評価タスクではない。 保存されたスキル用紙は、これらの追加メモの横に残されている。

適応型セクションをテスト全体から分離する

ETSの2026ブループリントは、リーディングとリスニングを2段階の**適応型（自适应）**セクションとして記述している。 ライティングとスピーキングはリニアであり、特定のフォームを受験した受験生は、そのフォームと同じタスクセットを受ける。 古い概要の広い説明を、すべてのセクションが問題ごとに適応すると言っているものと解釈してはいけない。

最初のモジュールは、学習者を後続のモジュールへと誘導する役割を果たす。 **モジュール（模块）**とは、タスクのグループであり、スコアレポートではない。 難しい問題が一つあっても、あなたが上手にできたか下手にできたかを証明するものではない。 その難易度は、あなたの知識やトピックによっても異なる。

ETSによると、ReadingおよびListeningにはスコア算出対象外（アンスコアド）の問題が含まれることがあります。 ラウスケール 原始分は、公開スケールへ変換される前の得点を記録したものです。 ここでは「30問中正解したと感じた」ことを公開されたバンドスコアに変換することはできません。 表示されているすべての問題が、その公開されたバンドスコアに等しく寄与しているとは限りません。 実際の結果を推測するのではなく、練習時のミスを利用して学習アクションを選択してください。

公開予定表には、おおよその基準時間が示されています。 指示や実施方法により、各セクションの時間を合計しても、試験全体の所要時間にはなりません。 ご自身のテストおよび承認された手配については、最新の公式指示に従ってください。 当校の教室用クロックは教学上の選択であり、本番のテストインターフェースを再現したものではありません。

全体スコアとセクション下限値を併せて確認する

架空の要件： Riverside Programmeでは、全体で 5 、かつ各セクションで最低 4.5 を求めています。 他の書類の提出も求められています。この言語要件を満たすことは、必ず入学を保証するものではありません。

プロフィール	Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking
A	5.5	5	5	3.5
B	4.5	5	5	5

プロファイルA

合計は 19 です。平均は 19 を 4 で割った値、すなわち 4.75 です。 最も近いハーフバンドに丸めると、全体スコアは 5 となります。 これは全体要件を満たしていますが、Speakingの 3.5 はセクション下限値 4.5 未満です。 したがって、言語要件は完全に満たされていません。 ノートに「全体合格」と書き記すと、不足している部分が隠れてしまいます。

プロファイルB

合計は19.5です。平均は4.875であり、全体として5に丸めます。 各セクションは最低でも4.5以上であるため、このプロフィールは架空の言語要件を満たしています。 読解が最も低いスコアですが、それが自動的にこの要件を満たせないことを意味するわけではありません。 最低セクションスコアは、普遍のルールではなく、実際の下限との比較において重要です。

閾値（しちち） 门槛 は、正確なスコアと比較すべき明記された最低基準です。 プログラム、スコールスケール、全体閾値、セクション閾値、および情報確認時期を記録してください。 異なるプログラムでは異なる証拠を求める場合があります。その現在の書面による要件に従ってください。

バンド数を加算せずに平均を丸める

新しい全体スケールは4つのセクションバンドの平均を取り、最も近い半バンドに丸めます。 4つの新しいバンドの合計を全体バンドとして報告しないでください。 ETSでは5.125が5に、5.25が5.5になります。 中間点の例示は、その正確な境界線がどのように処理されるかを示しています。

練習のために、セクションバンドを5.5、5.5、5、5と仮定してください。 それらの合計は21です；4で割ると5.25になり；報告される全体スコアは5.5です。 これは提供されたバンドに基づく計算であり、ご自身の練習回答の採点方法ではありません。

移行期間中、レポートには旧来の0–120スケールにおける比較可能な全体結果も併記されます。 その数値によりレポートが古く見えることはありません。 現在の実験形式に含まれないタスクを説明しながら、有用な語彙を学ぶことはできます。 120に言及しているという理由だけで拒否せず、実際のタスク説明、日付、目的を確認してください。 新しいバンドに20を掛けて、その結果を正確な換算値とするようにはしてはいけません。 古い評価基準で記載された要件に対して、参照可能な比較スコアと公式ガイドラインを使用します。

スピード追求前にコミュニケーションの判断を練習する

以下の短いオリジナル例は、異なる言語スキルが何を行うかを示しています。 これらは練習を提供し、後続のスキル補完教材が完全なタスクセットを構成します。

実用的なメッセージを読む

メッセージ： ワークショップは金曜日に変更なく継続されますが、3 時より 12 室で開催されます。 下書きを持ってきてください。すでにメールで送信済みの場合でも、必ずコピーをお持ちください。

質問： 下書きをメールで送った人はどうすべきか？

依然としてコピーを持ってくるべきである。「 anyway（どうしても／ Regardless）」により、その指示は有効に維持されている。 このメッセージは時間と場所を変更しているだけで、日付自体は変更されていない。 木曜日に関する回答は、メッセージで一切明記されていない追加の変更を含んでしまう。

有用な返信を選ぶ

話者： 「登録受付はどこですか？」

考えられる返信： A「9時から開いています。」 B「はい、メイン入り口のすぐ隣にあります。」 C「先週登録しました。」

Bは場所の案内を求める依頼に対する返答です。 Aは時間を示しており、Cは話し手自身の過去の行動を述べています。 3つの選択肢すべてが登録関連の情報に触れていますが、この依頼に正しく応答しているのはBのみです。 単に単語を繰り返すだけでは、返信が正解または不正解となるわけではありません。 これらの選択肢を読む前にパートナーから文を聞くと、リスニング練習に変換できます。

明確な文の構成

これらのグループを使用します：「the librarian（司書）」 / 「because（なぜなら）」 / 「I asked（尋ねた）」 / 「the printer was not working（プリンターが動かなかった）」 。

一つの完全な文は以下の通りです：「I asked the librarian because the printer was not working.（プリンターが動かなかったため、司書に聞きました。）」 主節は行動を示し、because節はその理由を説明します。 「I asked because the librarian the printer was not working」では、意味間の関係性が正しくありません。 語順の練習は、文法だけでなくメッセージ内容も維持する必要があります。

聞き取り質問への回答

質問： 「Where do you prefer to study?（どこで勉強するのが好ましいですか？）」

元の回答： 「I prefer the library because it is quieter than my flat.（アパートより静かなので、図書館での勉強を好みます。）」 例えば、テレビに邪魔されることなく読書を終わらせることができます。 プロジェクトについて話し合う必要がある場合、別室でグループと会います。"

話者は、好意、理由、例、そして関連する例外事項を提示しています。 これはインタビュー形式の回答であり、Listen and Repeatタスクで置き換えるための文ではありません。 反復練習では、意味を自分自身の回答に変えずに、提供された文をそのまま再現してください。 口頭で発音してください。書かれたテキストだけでは、伝わりやすさが判断できません。

エラーから実践アクションを選ぶ

診断（diagnosis）は、改善すべき課題を特定します。 「英語が苦手（Bad at English）」だけでは、明日何を練習すればよいかが分かりません。 小さなエラー記録が、次のアクションを明確にします。

何が起こったか	確認すべき点	有益な次のアクション
木曜日を指定しました	日付の変更を提案	新しいメッセージに記号を付けます
開始時間を指定しました	場所の要求を見落とした	新しい質問の目的を特定します
「because」の文が破綻した	節の順序が不明瞭	新たな文を再構築し、その作用を説明します
聞き手が理由を理解できなかった	伝達や接続が不明瞭	新たな回答を記録し、何が理解されたかを尋ねます

最初の試行で困難を発見し、証拠を振り返ってください。 リプレイ、よりゆっくりとした読書、または辞書の確認は、その後の学習に役立ちます。 それらは単にライブテストがこれらのサポートを制限しているというだけで失敗ではありません。 時間制限付きの試行と慎重な検討は、準備の異なる側面を養います。

全体的な判断10選回顾

解説を読む前に質問を試してください。

1. プロファイルAは全体として5を報告しています。これはライブラーの完全な言語要件を満たしていますか？
2. プロファイルBがReadingが最低セクションであるというだけで失敗しているのは誤りですか？
3. 5.5、5.5、5、5の平均値と、四捨五入された全体スコアはいくつですか？
4. 合計値21を新しい全体バンドとして報告すべきでしょうか？
5. 同等の0–120合計は、2026の報告が古いことを証明しますか？
6. 一つの難しいReadingの問題が、以前の回答が正しかったことを証明しますか？
7. プラクティスワークシートの正解総数は、ここで報告するバンドを決定できますか？
8. ワークショップのメッセージでは、日が変更されましたか？
9. 登録の質問において、なぜ開始時間は最善の返信ではないのですか？
10. 書面による図書館の返信は、学習者のライブスピーチパフォーマンスを保証できますか？

解説付き解答

1. いいえ。 speaking 3.5 は全体基準を満たしていても、架空のセクション床である 4.5 より下です。
2. いいえ。 reading 4.5 はその床を満たしています。4つのセクション要件と全体要件がすべて満たされています。
3. 平均は 5.25 で、四捨五入した全体得点は 5.5 です。四捨五入する前に合計を4で割ってください。
4. いいえ。21は計算に使用された合計であり、1–6 全体のスケールのバンドではありません。
5. いいえ。移行には比較対象となる旧スケールの合計が含まれています。レポートと実際のタスク形式を確認してください。
6. いいえ。セクションはモジュール間を跨ぎ、ある問題への体験が全体の結果を全て示すわけではありません。
7. いいえ。元の練習は、採点されるアダプティブテストやその変換システムではありません。
8. いいえ。曜日は金曜日のままだ。時間や会場は変更されますが、コピー持参の要件は維持されます。
9. スピーカーは机の場所を尋ねました。場所に関する回答はこの要求に応えますが、時間の回答は応えません。
10. いいえ。これはアイデアや言語の選択を示しているだけです。実際のspeakingには大声での練習と聴き手による確認が必要です。

次回のセッションをサポートする記録を残す

目指している要件とその出所を記載してください。 現在のタスクタイプ1つと難易度1つを選んで練習してください。 試行後、自身の回答、修正のための証拠、次のアクションを保存してください。

例：「ワークショップメッセージ；無論見落とした；依然としてコピーが必要；別の例外指示を練習」 次の試行をレビューして、同じミスが繰り返されるか確認してください。 完了したワークシートは練習の有用な証拠ですが、試験結果や入学を保証するものではありません。

Read the message before deciding what it means

A library notice says that books are due on Friday unless your receipt gives a later date. A student returns a book on Friday without checking the receipt. The student may have met the deadline, but has not used all the information. Reading means joining details and conditions, not recognising a familiar word.

This supplement adds original worked practice to the preserved Reading notes. It covers Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life and Read an Academic Passage. All passages, questions and answers below are newly written teaching examples. They are not official ETS items, rated test forms or a complete adaptive test. Their lengths and practice clocks are classroom choices.

Try each set before reading its answers. Keep the text visible while you work. The official Reading description says the needed information is in the text. You do not need specialist knowledge of the topic to answer these questions. An answer must fit the particular text, even if another answer sounds possible in real life.

Complete words using letters, grammar and meaning together

In Complete the Words, parts of words are missing from a short text. Use the supplied letters and the surrounding sentence together. Grammar suggests possible forms; meaning and spelling narrow the choice further. In this practice, each underscore represents one missing letter. Write the whole completed word in your notebook. In a live task, follow its own entry instructions; our notation does not copy its interface.

Original text A: comparing paths

Students mea_____ (1) the temperature of two campus paths at the same ti__ (2). One path lay under trees; the other was expo___ (3) to direct sunlight. Their results sho___ (4) that the shaded path was coo___ (5) at every reading. However, they cou__ (6) not con_____ (7) that shade was the only cause. The study did not con____ (8) wind speed or surface material. They pla____ (9) to rep___ (10) the measurements with these differences checked.

Explained completions

1. Measured. The students took temperature readings. “Measured” fits the past events and begins with mea.
2. Time. “At the same time” makes the comparison meaningful. “Times” needs an extra letter and changes the form.
3. Exposed. “Was exposed to” describes the path receiving sunlight. Exposing does not fit the three missing letters or this passive structure.
4. Showed. The results showed a pattern in the completed study. “Shown” does not form a complete verb after “results” here.
5. Cooler. The sentence compares the two paths, so the comparative form fits. “Coolest” needs more letters and suggests a different comparison.
6. Could. The phrase “could not conclude” gives a limit on the students' claim. The supplied cou and two missing letters fit could.
7. Conclude. After could not, use the base form. The students cannot reach this stronger claim from their evidence.
8. Control. Wind and surface material were not kept comparable. The base form follows did not; controlled would add an incorrect ending.
9. Planned. The students made a future plan after their first study. Planned has double n; planed is a different word and does not fit this meaning.
10. Repeat. They intend to take the measurements again. Repeat fits the supplied letters, length and meaning after to.

Read the completed text once more. The pattern and its limit should both make sense. A correctly spelled word can still be wrong if it changes the sentence's meaning.

Original text B: a study collection

The college library created a dig____ (11) collection of local photographs. Students can sea___ (12) it by street name or year. Each image has a short des________ (13), but some dates remain unc______ (14). The library asks users to provide evi_____ (15) before suggesting a new date. This helps staff rev___ (16) the information without treating every guess as a fact.

11. Digital. A searchable electronic collection is digital; dig plus four letters fits.

12. Search. “Search it by street name or year” explains how users find images.

13. Description. A short written description accompanies an image. Des plus eight letters fits description.

14. Uncertain. Some dates are not established. Unc plus six letters fits uncertain.

15. Evidence. Users must support a proposed change. Evi plus five letters fits evidence.

16. Revise. Staff can change the information after checking it. Rev plus three letters fits revise.

The second text connects the words: uncertain dates need evidence before revision. Do not select each word as if it appeared alone on a vocabulary card.

Check a grammar shortcut against the actual sentence

The original notes offer quick word-class hints. Use them as starting points, not fixed laws. An article 冠词 such as the can come before an adjective as well as directly before a noun. “The quiet room” contains an adjective between the and room. “The carefully prepared report” adds an adverb before the adjective.

To can mark an infinitive 不定式: “They plan to repeat the study.” It can also be a preposition 介词: “They walked to the library.” In “They look forward to reading the report,” reading fits the whole expression. Do not turn every word after to into a base verb.

A word family 词族 contains related forms, such as describe, description and descriptive. “Each image has a short ___” needs a thing that the image has: description. “A ___ note accompanies each image” could use descriptive. The supplied letters, word length and sentence must all fit.

Prefixes can suggest meaning: uncertain means not certain, and repeat involves doing something again. But a word part alone does not prove the answer. A familiar ending can occur in words with different jobs. Verify the whole sentence and preserve the spelling of the actual word.

Read a daily-life email for purpose and conditions

Original email

Subject: Wednesday workshop

Hello everyone,

The workshop still starts at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. We have moved from Room 18 to Room 21 because the projector in Room 18 is being repaired. Please bring a printed draft unless you uploaded your final draft before noon on Tuesday. If you uploaded it after noon, bring a printed copy too. You may wish to bring a notebook for your own notes, but this is optional.

Mina, workshop organiser

Questions 17–19

17. What is the main purpose of this email? A Announce a new workshop day. B Explain a room change and what participants should bring. C Cancel the workshop. D Ask participants to repair a projector.

18. Jia uploaded a final draft at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. What should Jia bring? A Only a notebook. B Nothing because any upload removes the requirement. C A printed draft. D A replacement projector.

19. What does the email say about a notebook? A Everyone must bring one. B It is optional for personal notes. C It replaces the printed draft. D It must be uploaded before noon.

Explained answers

17. B. The email announces the move to Room 21 and explains the draft requirement. A changes Wednesday without evidence; C invents a cancellation; D confuses a repair reason with a participant's job.

18. C. One p.m. is after noon, so Jia must bring a printed copy. The exception applies only to a final draft uploaded before noon. A and B ignore the condition; D adds a job the email never gives Jia.

19. B. The email explicitly says optional. It offers a useful choice rather than a requirement. A changes the strength of the message. C and D wrongly transfer the draft instructions to the notebook.

Polite wording can introduce a request, a suggestion or an option. “You may wish to” does not always mean “you must.” Read the whole message, including words that state whether an action is required.

Read a notice and a timetable together

Original notice

Study-support desk: from 6 October, afternoon appointments take place in the library annex. Morning appointments stay in Room 4. Bring your appointment confirmation. Walk-in questions are welcome from 12:15 to 12:45; booked meetings do not run during that period.

Period	Service	Location
09:00–12:00	Booked meetings	Room 4
12:15–12:45	Walk-in questions	Library annex
14:00–16:00	Booked meetings	Library annex

An annex 附楼 is an extra building or part of a building connected with the main one. Here, use the stated location; do not invent a map or travel time.

Questions 20–22

20. Where should a student attend a 10 a.m. booked meeting on 7 October? A Room 4. B Library annex. C Either place. D The notice does not state a location.

21. Which student can use the service at 12:30 without a booking? A A student attending a booked meeting. B A student with a walk-in question. C Only a student with an afternoon booking. D Nobody, because the desk is closed.

22. What remains unchanged from the previous arrangement? A All afternoon appointments. B The location of morning appointments. C All meetings are now walk-in. D Nobody needs confirmation.

Explained answers

20. A. Ten a.m. belongs to the morning booked period, which stays in Room 4. B wrongly applies the afternoon change to every meeting. C invents choice; D ignores both notice and timetable.

21. B. The notice and timetable identify a walk-in period at 12:30. A contradicts the statement about booked meetings; C invents an eligibility rule; D ignores the stated opening.

22. B. “Stay” signals that the morning location has not changed. A misses the afternoon move; C and D contradict the service type and confirmation instruction.

The prose explains a change; the table helps locate a period quickly. Join them. A true phrase in one cell is not enough if it belongs to the wrong time.

Read an academic passage as a connected explanation

Original passage: collecting seeds in a city

A town planting group compared two ways of collecting seeds from a local wildflower. In the first method, volunteers picked seeds from the earliest plants to flower. In the second, they returned several times and collected from plants flowering at different dates. The group wanted a collection representing the variation already present in the local population.

The first method was convenient because volunteers could finish in one visit. However, it risked leaving out plants that flowered later. The second required more visits, but sampled a wider range of flowering dates. Researchers explained that neither method creates new variation; collection determines which existing plants are represented.

The trial recorded dates and the plants visited, rather than testing later survival. Its results therefore support a claim about the breadth of collection, not a claim that one batch grows better. The group planned a separate growing trial before making that stronger claim. Convenience remained important, but the group decided to compare it with its sampling aim.

Questions 23–28

23. Which title best expresses the main idea? A Creating variation by collecting seeds. B How collection choices affect which plants are represented. C Proving that early flowers always survive longer. D Replacing volunteers with researchers.

24. Why was the first method convenient? A It created new plant types. B It needed only one visit. C It sampled all flowering dates. D It tested survival immediately.

25. What does “it” refer to in “However, it risked leaving out plants that flowered later”? A The first collection method. B The growing trial. C New variation. D A late-flowering plant.

26. What does “breadth” mean in this passage? A Physical width of the town. B Depth of a planting hole. C Range of plants included in the collection. D Number of researchers employed.

27. What can reasonably be inferred about using only the first method? A It may represent flowering dates less widely than repeated visits do. B It proves the seeds will never grow. C It changes every plant's flowering date. D It requires more collection visits than the second method.

28. Why does the writer mention the separate growing trial? A To prove that collecting is unnecessary. B To show how researchers created new variation. C To explain why volunteers stopped helping. D To distinguish a future survival test from the completed collection comparison.

Explain the academic answers from evidence

23. B. All three paragraphs connect collection decisions with representation and the limits of the trial. A contradicts “neither method creates new variation.” C claims survival evidence that was not collected. D invents a change of workers. A title should cover the explanation, not one familiar word.

24. B. The first method let volunteers finish in one visit. A wrongly attributes creation of variation to collection. C ignores omitted later plants. D confuses the completed comparison with the planned growing trial.

25. A. The previous sentence describes the first method as convenient; “however” introduces its drawback. Follow the connected idea. The other options are not the method that can leave later plants out of collection. A referent 指代对象 is the person or thing a word such as it refers to.

26. C. Breadth concerns how widely the collection represents flowering dates. The paragraph contrasts this with survival. A and B choose physical measurements from another context; D adds staffing information that the passage does not discuss.

27. A. Picking from only the earliest flowers risks omitting later-flowering plants. That supports a narrower range of dates, even though the sentence does not repeat the option's wording. B and C are much stronger unsupported claims; D reverses the stated visit pattern. An inference must connect evidence. It cannot add a result the trial never measured.

28. D. The separate trial would investigate the stronger claim about how seeds grow later. This marks the boundary of the existing evidence. A, B and C invent purposes or events. A limitation 局限 states what evidence cannot establish as well as what it can.

Notice the passage structure: aim and methods, comparison, then evidence limits and next step. A paragraph's job matters even when its first sentence is not a complete summary. “However” marks a drawback; “therefore” connects the measured evidence to a restricted conclusion.

Improve accuracy before making the same task faster

The original notes give fixed reading speeds and broad claims about Chinese learners. Use your own error record instead. Different learners need different support. A dictionary check or a brief translation during review can explain a word you missed. It does not itself prove that you cannot read under test conditions.

For a first practice round, allow four minutes for text A and three for text B. Allow four minutes for the email and notice together, then five for the academic passage. These are classroom clocks, not official task limits or a score prediction. If you finish quickly but choose answers without evidence, review accuracy before reducing the clock. If you run out of time, identify where time went: decoding words, rereading conditions or comparing options.

During review, write a short evidence phrase beside each answer. For a missing word, write the complete word and the grammar or meaning that supports it. Then attempt a fresh text. Faster recall of this worksheet is not proof of transfer to a new passage.

Scored Reading items have a maximum of one raw point in the blueprint. That does not make a classroom total an exact reported-band conversion. Unscored items, adaptive routing and scale conversion remain separate issues. Do not calculate the number of later questions you will lose from one minute spent here. Follow the real test's navigation and timing instructions when taking it.

Check six decisions on a fresh attempt

1. Does “the” always require the next word to be a noun?
2. Does “to” always require the next word to be a base verb?
3. Why must the collection passage not be used to claim better seed survival?
4. A notebook is optional in the email. Can polite wording make it compulsory?
5. Does knowing what a flower usually does replace the passage's evidence?
6. What should you change after successfully remembering all these answers?

Explained answers

1. No. An adjective or adverb-plus-adjective can appear before the noun: “the carefully prepared report.”
2. No. To can be an infinitive marker or a preposition. Check the whole phrase and sentence.
3. The trial measured collection dates and representation, not later survival. A separate growing trial is planned.
4. No. Read the explicit optional condition; do not override it with a politeness shortcut.
5. No. Answer from this passage. Outside knowledge may suggest possibilities the text never establishes.
6. Attempt new texts and explain their evidence. Change the task to practise the skill beyond this worksheet.

Hear what the speaker needs you to understand

A student says, “I thought the desk stayed open until six.” The desk has already closed. A useful reply explains the hours or offers another way to get help. Repeating the word desk does not make an answer right or wrong. The reply must fit the speaker's meaning and the situation.

This supplement adds original practice to the preserved Listening notes. It covers short responses, a conversation, an announcement and an academic talk. All scripts, questions and answers are new classroom material, not official ETS items. The printed scripts support teaching and review. Reading them alone does not test listening.

For spoken practice, ask a partner to read each script once while you cover it. Read the questions and options, listen, then record your choices before uncovering the script. For short-response practice, the partner reads the prompt without naming its function. The partner should speak clearly at a natural pace, without stressing the answer words. This is classroom practice, not a copy of the live test's question sequence or interface. The lesson audio remains a separate production step.

Choose a reply that fits the whole turn

An indirect request 间接请求 can ask for help without saying “Please help me.” “I can't reach that shelf” may invite someone to reach it. Context matters: the same sentence in another conversation might simply explain a problem. Do not decide from a single word or from a fixed rising-or-falling rule. Tone supports meaning; grammar, context and the rest of the turn support it too.

Six original spoken prompts

1. “Could I borrow your pen for a moment?” A Yes, here you are. B I borrowed a book yesterday. C The lecture lasted an hour. D I wrote the date on Tuesday.

2. “That box looks heavy. Shall I carry it upstairs for you?” A The stairs were painted last year. B A box has four sides. C Thanks, that would help. D The room is on the next floor.

3. “Sorry I'm late. The bus stopped for road repairs.” A The repairs cost a lot. B That's all right; we've only just started. C This road leads to the station. D I prefer walking in the morning.

4. “I was hoping to use this room, but I see your group has booked it.” A Yes, rooms can hold groups. B Our booking was made online. C We meet every week. D We're leaving in five minutes, if you can wait.

5. “We could discuss the project after lunch, if you're free.” A Lunch usually has two courses. B Yes, two o'clock works for me. C I bought a notebook. D Our project has several pages.

6. “The form won't open on my phone. Is there another way to register?” A Phones can show websites. B Registration is an English word. C You can use the computer beside the desk. D I keep my phone in my bag.

Explain the responses

1. A. The speaker asks to borrow a pen. A accepts and offers it. B matches borrow but changes the object and time. C and D do not answer the request.

2. C. The speaker offers help. C accepts that offer. A mentions the stairs without responding. B describes a box; D gives a location already implied by upstairs.

3. B. The speaker apologises and gives a reason. B accepts the apology and explains the present situation. A and C follow words in the reason, not the apology. D gives an unrelated personal preference.

4. D. The speaker wants to use an occupied room. D gives a possible solution with a waiting condition. A is a general fact. B and C may be true, but neither helps resolve the room problem. D does not promise the room immediately: five minutes still matters.

5. B. The speaker suggests meeting after lunch. B accepts and proposes a suitable time. A discusses food. C and D do not agree to, refuse or arrange the proposed discussion.

6. C. The speaker needs a different registration method. C offers a working alternative. A repeats the phone topic without fixing the problem. B defines a word; D describes a habit.

A repeated word can appear in a suitable response: “Yes, you can borrow my pen.” A response with different words can still be irrelevant: “The weather is lovely.” Test the conversational job, not a ban on matching vocabulary.

Follow a conversation from problem to agreed solution

Original script: borrowing filming equipment

Student: I'd like to film a short interview for our class project on Thursday. My phone records clearly, but it moves when I hold it. Can I borrow a tripod?

Assistant: All our full-height tripods are booked on Thursday. We do have a small phone stand. It sits on a table, so it works well if your speaker is seated.

Student: That's fine. We're filming at a table in the study room. Can I collect it Thursday morning?

Assistant: Actually, the stand comes back from another borrower at two. You can collect it from three onwards. Bring your student ID to the equipment desk.

Student: Three works. We start the interview at four. When should I return it?

Assistant: By four on Friday. Return it to the equipment desk, not the library book box. I'll reserve the stand under your name now.

Questions 7–11

7. What problem does the student want to solve? A Unclear sound from a microphone. B An unstable phone while filming. C A missing interview partner. D A study room with no table.

8. Why does the assistant suggest a phone stand? A Full-height tripods are unavailable that day, and a table stand suits the planned interview. B The student must film outdoors. C Phones cannot record interviews. D The study room bans tripods.

9. When can the student collect the stand? A Thursday morning. B Thursday at two. C Thursday from three. D Friday after four.

10. What must the student bring when collecting it? A The finished video. B A printed booking form. C A library book. D Student ID.

11. Why does the assistant say “Actually”? A To cancel the interview. B To correct the student's proposed collection time. C To express doubt about the student's name. D To explain how a phone records sound.

Explained answers and compact notes

7. B. The phone moves when held. A confuses clear recording with a sound problem. C and D invent missing people or furniture.

8. A. Join two details: tripods are booked, and the seated interview can use a table stand. B contradicts the study-room setting. C contradicts the phone recording clearly; D invents a ban.

9. C. Two is when the stand returns; three is when collection starts. A is the student's first request, not the final arrangement. D uses the return deadline as collection time.

10. D. The assistant directly asks for student ID. None of the other documents is requested. Do not add a plausible equipment-office rule that the script never states.

11. B. Actually introduces a correction to morning collection. The assistant then explains availability and offers a later time. The other purposes are absent.

Useful notes could read: phone shakes → table stand; Thu collect ≥3 + ID; Fri return ≤4, equipment desk. The symbols ≥ and ≤ mean at or after, and at or before, in these personal notes. They are not a requirement to use mathematical notation during the test. Keep collection and return on separate lines if symbols slow you down.

Listen for changes and actions in an announcement

Original script: a film evening

This is a message for students attending Friday's film evening. The start time is still six, but the event has moved from Room 5 to Hall B. Room 5 needs electrical repairs. Please use the north entrance to Hall B. The east entrance is closed, and the north entrance opens at half past five.

If you already reserved a seat, your reservation remains valid; you do not need to book again. Please arrive by ten to six so staff can check reservations before the film starts. At ten to six, any reserved seat that has not been claimed becomes available to waiting students. Students without reservations can join the waiting line at the north entrance. Joining that line does not guarantee a seat.

Questions 12–16

12. What is the main purpose? A Explain updated arrangements for a film evening. B Invite students to repair a room. C Announce a different film date. D Close the whole campus.

13. Which arrangement is unchanged? A The room. B The east entrance being available. C The six o'clock start. D Every seat being open to everyone.

14. A student already reserved a seat. What should the student do? A Book again. B Arrive by 5:50 at Hall B using the north entrance. C Enter Room 5 at six. D Join the waiting line after the film ends.

15. What happens to an unclaimed reserved seat at 5:50? A It is removed from the hall. B It stays empty all evening. C It becomes available to waiting students. D It is saved until next Friday.

16. What can a student without a reservation reasonably expect? A A guaranteed seat. B Admission through the closed east entrance. C An earlier film start. D A chance of a seat by joining the waiting line.

Explained answers

12. A. The message explains location, entrance and reservation procedures. B mistakes the reason for the move for the students' task. C changes a date that remains Friday. D turns one closed entrance into a campus-wide closure.

13. C. “Still six” explicitly preserves the start time. A is the changed room. B contradicts the closure; D ignores the reservation procedure.

14. B. Combine the new hall, correct entrance and arrival deadline. The existing reservation remains valid, so A adds an unnecessary action. C ignores the move; D ignores the deadline and purpose of the reservation.

15. C. Unclaimed seats are released to the waiting line at ten to six. A, B and D invent rules. Ten to six means 5:50, not 6:10.

16. D. Waiting students may get released seats, but availability is not guaranteed. A strengthens a possibility into certainty. B ignores the closed entrance; C changes the start time.

Separate three times: entrance opens 5:30; claim reserved seat by 5:50; film starts 6:00. A number is useful only when attached to the correct action.

Hear the structure of a short academic talk

Original script: cooling a classroom

When a classroom feels hot, people often open every window immediately. But whether that helps depends on the air outside and the way air moves. Today I'll compare two simple observations, then explain what they cannot prove.

In one classroom, staff opened opposite windows when the outside air was cooler than the room. Air could enter on one side and leave on the other. The room temperature fell during that period. Opening both sides created a path for moving air; an open window alone does not ensure the same movement.

In another classroom, staff opened windows at noon when the outside air was warmer. The room did not cool during their observation. Bringing warmer air inside did not provide the same cooling effect. This does not mean windows should never open at noon. Outside conditions can differ from day to day.

There is a further caution. These were different rooms, used by different groups. Staff did not keep sunlight, numbers of people or equipment use the same. So the observations are useful examples, but they do not isolate window arrangement as the only cause. A stronger comparison would check these other conditions while comparing arrangements. The takeaway is to connect a cooling decision with conditions, rather than follow one rule in every room.

Questions 17–22

17. What is the main idea? A Every open window cools every room. B Cooling decisions depend on conditions, and the observations have limits. C All classrooms have identical temperatures. D Equipment never affects a classroom.

18. What did opposite windows provide in the first classroom? A A path for air to enter and leave. B Proof that sunlight had no effect. C Warmer outside air. D A room without people.

19. Why does the speaker mention warmer outside air in the second classroom? A To say noon is always the hottest time. B To explain why everyone should close windows permanently. C To explain why opening windows did not produce the same cooling effect. D To prove that the second room had no equipment.

20. How is the talk organised? A A list of people, then a timetable. B A complaint, then an apology. C An equipment advertisement, then a price comparison. D Two observations, followed by a caution and a general lesson.

21. What can be inferred about a stronger comparison? A It should check other conditions that might affect temperature. B It must use only one classroom observation. C It should ignore sunlight. D It already proved that window arrangement is the only cause.

22. What does “takeaway” mean here? A Food collected from a restaurant. B The main lesson to remember. C A window removed from its frame. D The act of leaving campus.

Explain the talk without adding outside knowledge

17. B. The observations show different conditions; the final paragraph limits the causal claim. A turns a conditional effect into a universal rule. C and D contradict differences and unchecked influences.

18. A. The speaker explains entry on one side and exit on the other. B and D invent controlled conditions. C belongs to the other observation.

19. C. The detail explains the contrast with cooler outside air in the first room. A claims always; B ignores the explicit warning against a fixed noon rule. D invents evidence about equipment.

20. D. The speaker announces two observations, gives them, then explains evidence limits and the practical lesson. A, B and C describe structures the talk does not use.

21. A. The speaker names unchecked conditions and proposes checking them in a stronger comparison. B and C remove useful checks. D mistakes a proposed improvement for an already established result.

22. B. The final sentence gives the lesson from the observations. The food meaning is possible elsewhere, but not in this explanation. An idiom 习语 or a familiar word used in a different way needs its local context.

A causal claim 因果结论 says that one factor produced an effect. A confounding factor 混杂因素 is another difference that may help explain an observed result. Here, sunlight, people and equipment were not kept the same. The speaker's cautious attitude 谨慎态度 appears in the limits and the proposed stronger comparison. You do not need to know extra physics to answer. Use what the talk actually states.

Useful notes: cooler outside + opposite windows → fall; warmer outside → no cooling observed; different rooms/groups; sunlight/people/equipment unchecked → stronger comparison needed. This records the explanation, not every spoken word.

Review listening errors with a specific next step

After a first attempt, uncover the script and mark the evidence for each answer. If you misheard a time, compare the spoken phrase with the action it describes. If you heard the words but chose the wrong reply, identify the conversational function. If you selected an old plan, locate the correction and write the final agreement. If your inference was too strong, replace always or guaranteed with what the evidence supports.

A replay after your first scored attempt can help diagnose an error. Use it for review, then attempt a different recording once. Repeated listening to one familiar script does not measure transfer to new speech. Shadowing may help some learners hear word groups, but is not a guaranteed fastest method for everyone. Choose a method that addresses your recorded difficulty.

Try a small personal routine: one short listening set, evidence review, then one fresh set later. Increase difficulty when your answers and reasons improve, not after a promised number of days. A missed detail does not imply a fixed number of lost later marks. Return attention to the current speaker rather than calculating imaginary losses. Follow the live task's navigation instructions instead of assuming a marking or revisit option exists.

Check six listening decisions

1. Does repeating a prompt word automatically make a response wrong?
2. Why is two o'clock not the stand's collection time?
3. What distinguishes 5:30, 5:50 and 6:00 in the announcement?
4. Does the waiting line guarantee entry?
5. Why cannot the talk prove that window arrangement alone caused the temperature difference?
6. Does completing this worksheet by reading certify your listening performance?

Explained answers

1. No. A reply can repeat a word and still answer the request naturally. Check function and context.
2. Two is the previous borrower's return time. Collection begins at three after that return.
3. Entrance opening, reservation-claim deadline and film start are different events.
4. No. Students may receive unclaimed seats, but a seat is not guaranteed.
5. The rooms and groups differed, and other relevant conditions were not kept equal.
6. No. Use spoken delivery with the script covered, then a fresh recording to check listening transfer.

この練習補充資料とは

この補充資料には、TOEFLライティングセクションの2つのタスク（文の構成と学術的なディスカッションの作成）のための独自の教室練習が含まれています。ここで提示されるすべてのタスク、プロンプト、モデル例は練習のために創作されたものです。これらにETSの公式問題や、公式の制限時間・得点に関する記述は一切含まれていません。

次の順序で進めてください。まず、ご自身で4つの文を構築してください。次に、解説付きの解答を読んでください。その後、1つの完全なディスカッションモデルを学習してください。最後に、2つの弱い文を修正してください。各説明を読む前に、ご自身で答えを書いてください。あなたの試行が、あなたにとって難しい単語を明らかにしてくれます。その上で、説明がその具体的な問題を解決するための手助けとなります。

文の構成練習

各タスクでは、固定された开头と固定された结尾が与えられます。これらを正確にコピーする必要があります。その間に**chunk（語塊）**を配置します。chunkは混在した順序で印刷されているため、正しい順序をご自身で見つける必要があります。

全タスクにおけるルール：

1. 各断片をちょうど一度ずつ使用してください。
2. 固定された开头と固定された结尾を、与えられた通り正確に保つこと。
3. 固定された部分の間には、chunk以外の任何东西を置かないこと。

タスク 1: 丁寧な質問

• 固定された开头: Could you tell me where
• chunk（混在順）: is / the library
• 固定された结尾: ?
• 要件: 完成した文は、一般的な書面英語の疑問文であること。

タスク 2: どの掲示物か？

• 固定された开头: The notice
• chunk（混在順）: posted / that / the tutor
• 固定された结尾: explains the new room rules.
• 要件：完成した文は、通常の書き言葉の英語の陳述句でなければなりません。

タスク 3: because を用いた理由

• 固定された始まり: The class moved to Room 12 because
• 断片（ランダムな順序）: was broken / the projector
• 固定された終わり: .
• 要件：完成した文は、指定された原因を含む通常の書き言葉の英語の陳述句でなければなりません。

タスク 4: 必須の行動

• 固定された始まり: The draft
• 断片（ランダムな順序）: be / must / submitted
• 固定された終わり: by Friday.
• 要件：完成した文は、通常の書き言葉の英語の陳述句でなければなりません。これはテストのために作られたルールではなく、標準的な英語です。

解答と解説

このセクションを読む前に、すべての4つの文を書いてください。あなたの文を解答と比較してから、なぜ各順序が正しいかを読んでください。

タスク 1 解答

Could you tell me where the library is?

これ単独では質問文は動詞を先頭に置きます: Where is the library? この丁寧な依頼の中に、順序が変わります。疑問詞 where の後に、主語が動詞の前に来ます: the library is。これは丁寧な依頼内の通常の主語-動詞の順序です。各断片は一度ずつ使用され、他には何も追加されていません。

タスク 2 解答

The notice that the tutor posted explains the new room rules.

単語 that は関係節を開きます。この節は与えられた名詞 notice を修飾します: どの掲示について話しているかを教えてくれます。節内では、主語が動詞の前に来ます: the tutor posted。節の後に、固定された述語 explains the new room rules が文を完了させます。

タスク 3 解答

プロジェクターが壊れたため、クラスは12室に移動しました。

Because は主節 主句における行動の原因を示します。原因には動詞の前に独自の主語があります：the projector was broken（プロジェクターが壊れていた）。明記された原因は完全な形で保たれ、固定部分の間に追加の単語は加えられません。

タスク 4 解答

草案は金曜日までに出す必要があります。

Must は情態動詞 情态动词です。その後に be と過去分詞 过去分詞 submitted が加わり、受動態 被动语态を形成します：must + be + submitted。この順序は固定されています。この文は一般的な書面英語であり、固定部分である主語と期限 by Friday（金曜日まで）は変更されません。

学術的な議論に参加する

この議論タスクでは、教授の質問と2人のクラスメートの返信が提示されます。あなたの役割は、この議論に自分の返信を追加することです。以下のプロンプトは練習のために創作されており、自身の創作された詳細を明記しています。

教授： 私たちのキャンパスには一つの計画を選ぶ必要があります：図書館をより長く開館するか、または電子書籍をさらに購入するかです。この議論のために、2つの架空の詳細を想定してください：図書館は現在9時で閉鎖され、各電子書籍ライセンスは最大1人の読者までしか許容しない可能性があります。これらの詳細は練習のために作られたものであり、実際のキャンパスとは異なる場合があります。どの計画が学生により役立ち、なぜでしょうか？

メイ： 私は図書館の営業時間延長を支持します。私たちの多くは夜、静かな場所で最も集中して勉強できます。もし図書館が真夜中まで開いていれば、学生は通学後の授業の後に帰って騒がしいアパートに戻らず、そこで勉強できるでしょう。

ダニエル： 私は電子書籍を増やすことを好みます。学生はいつでもどこでも読め、建物閉鎖時でも可能です。電子書籍コレクションは新しい部屋を必要とせず増やせますが、印刷書籍は棚の上に置かれるだけです。

完全なモデル回答

以下の回答は教授に対する1つの完全な回答です。ご自身で書いた後にお読みください。

私は図書館の営業時間延長を支持し、メイが指摘するように、復習時には夜間の静かな場所が重要だと同意します。試験期間中に図書館が真夜中まで開いていたと仮定しましょう。騒がしいアパートを共有している学生はその場で復習でき、授業が終わりが遅い学生もまだ勉強の時間を確保できます。ダニエルの「いつでも読める」という点は電子書籍の確かな強みですが、スクリーンはデスクではありません：長時間の読書は目を疲れさせ、ライセンスが一度に1人の読者しか許さない可能性があります。キャンパスが両方を同時に行えるなら最良ですが、一方だけ選ぶなら、私は営業時間を選択します。建物の静かなデスクはダウンロードでは解決できない問題来解决するからです。深夜に静かなデスクが必要な学生にとって、営業時間の延長の方が重要です。

このモデルが機能する理由

このモデルはまず立場を述べてからメイに賛同し、自身の例と理由で意見を展開します。Suppose（仮定として）は仮説的 假设的であることを示すため、モデルは実際の図書館の混雑状況や費用について何も主張しません。答える前にダニエルの意見が部分的に正しいことを認めているため、この回答は自身の見解を述べるだけでなく、クラスメートにも応答しています。これらはこの1つの回答における選択であり、すべての回答に適用されるルールではありません。別の回答ではダニエルに賛同したり、片方のクラスメート只对回应したりする場合もあります。ライセンスに関する部分は might を保持しているため、1人制限は事実ではなく可能性として残っています。最後の文では「深夜に静かなデスクが必要な学生」という明確なグループを特定し、すべての読者に営業時間延長が役立つと一般化していません。このモデル回答は英語で書かれており、公式の時間帯、最低要件、規模については一切言及されていません。

2つの弱い文を修正する

各ペアには意味が同じ、1つの弱い文と1つの改善された文が表示されています。改善された文を隠して、まずご自身で修正を書いてください。

ペア 1: a または an?

• 弱い文：She will attend an university interview next week.
• 改善された文：She will attend a university interview next week.

a または an の使い分けは、最初の文字ではなく最初の音によって決まります。University は /j/ の音で始まり、you と同じです。そのため、その前の冠詞（冠词）は an ではなく a です。文の意味は変わりません。

ペア 2: although と but

• 不自然な例：Although the email was short, but it answered both requests.
• 改善例：Although the email was short, it answered both requests.

ここでは対比の接尾辞を一つだけ使えば十分です。Although がすでに対比を示しているため、but は不要です。although を残して but を削除するか、または although を削除して but を残します：The email was short, but it answered both requests. 意味は変わりません。

自己チェック

1. 各文を再構築し、なぜその語順が正しいかを説明できますか？
2. 参考回答において、Mei への対応位置、合意点、指定された例文、および Daniel に対する答えを見つけることができますか？
3. 振り返らずに両方の修正点を説明できますか？

What this practice supplement is

A candidate repeats "The library opens at nine" perfectly, then freezes on "I usually study in the evening because the building is quieter after class." One sentence was held in the head long enough; the other was not. Speaking practice trains that holding, and the interview's quick start, on real mouths rather than on paper.

This supplement adds original worked practice to the preserved Speaking notes. It covers Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. All sentences, questions and model answers below are newly written teaching examples, not official ETS items or rated responses. Reading them silently cannot certify pronunciation, rhythm or spoken delivery. Say every line aloud, ideally into a recording, before reading its coaching notes.

The old independent and integrated speaking tasks are gone from the 2026 test, so this material follows the two current task families only. Classroom timings here are practice choices, not official limits.

Listen and Repeat: three length sets

In this task you hear a sentence and say it back. You are scored on what you say: pronunciation 发音, stress 重音, and reproducing the whole sentence, not on inventing anything new. The skill is holding a whole sentence in your head long enough to say it.

Set A: short sentences, exact rhythm

1. The lab closes at five.
2. My cousin studies engineering.
3. These seats are reserved today.
4. I printed the form yesterday.
5. The north entrance is closed.

Say each at normal speed. Slowing down to be careful breaks the rhythm 节奏 of the sentence, and rhythm is part of what is being judged. A careful slow-motion version of "The lab closes at five" is worse than a natural one with a soft final consonant.

Set B: medium sentences, hold the shape

6. The workshop moved to Room 21 because the projector is being repaired.
7. You may bring a notebook, but a printed draft is required.
8. My supervisor answered the email before noon on Tuesday.
9. The second bus was cheaper and less crowded than the first.
10. Registration closes on Friday unless the page states otherwise.

Sentence 6 carries a reason clause; sentence 7 carries a contrast; sentence 9 carries a comparison. Hold the whole shape, not the first four words plus a guess. If you miss a word, keep going and finish the sentence: a complete sentence with one wrong word is worth much more than half a perfect one.

Set C: longer sentences, chunk by meaning

11. The study-support desk keeps morning appointments in Room 4 while afternoon appointments move to the library annex.
12. I decided to take the earlier train because it arrives before my first class and leaves the evening free for the library.
13. Although the form says one photograph is enough, the office asks international students to bring a second copy.

Long sentences are spoken in chunks 意群, not word by word: "The study-support desk / keeps morning appointments in Room 4 / while afternoon appointments / move to the library annex." Practise hearing the chunk boundaries, then repeat the chunks in order. This is the same skill the interview needs for long answers.

Coaching notes for all three sets

• Practise with a partner or a recording, never with your eyes only. Cover this page, hear the sentence once, speak, then check.
• Lengthen the sentences as you improve. Start where you succeed, then add one clause.
• Final consonants 辅音 carry meaning: "cost" and "cos", "asked" and "ask" are different words to a listener. Finish the last sound before starting the next sentence.
• If a sentence collapses, say it once more and move on. Five sentences repeated well train more than one sentence repeated thirty times.

Take an Interview: answer, reason, example

You answer a series of spoken questions, as you would in a conversation. The shape that fits almost every question is answer first, then one reason, then one example. It starts you speaking within a second, which matters more than having more to say.

Three original questions with worked responses

Question 1. Where do you usually study — at home or somewhere else?

Strong: "Somewhere else, usually the library. Because at home I start checking my phone, and in the library everyone around me is working, so I keep working too. For example, last week I finished a full lab report there in one evening."

Weak: "Both places are good. Home is comfortable and the library is quiet and also the cafe sometimes and my friend studies at home too and it depends."

The strong version answers first (the library), gives one reason (phone at home, others working), and one example (the lab report). The weak version is a list of unexplained places; lists of three or four items are weaker than one explained choice.

Question 2. Do you prefer studying in the morning or the evening?

Strong: "Morning, I think. I suppose my head is clearest before lunch, and there are fewer messages arriving. For instance, I write my essays between eight and ten, and that is when they come out best."

Notice the natural fillers 填充词, "I think", "I suppose": they buy a moment and sound like speech. Long pauses do not. Also notice the honest hedge "I suppose" — it fits an opinion question exactly.

Question 3. Your friend wants to learn a new skill quickly. What advice would you give?

Strong: "I'd say practise a little every day rather than a lot once a week. Well, because small daily sessions stay in your memory, and a long Sunday session mostly evaporates. When I learned to type, fifteen minutes a day worked better than a two-hour class."

The answer starts within a second of the question. The repair phrase "sorry, what I mean is" belongs in your toolkit too: if you lose your way mid-sentence, repair it out loud and carry on. That is what fluent speakers do, and it is marked as fluency 流利度, not as failure.

What to avoid

• Reciting 背诵. A memorised answer is audible: the rhythm changes, the vocabulary jumps a level, and it usually does not quite fit the question. Markers discount it. The worked responses above are shapes to reuse, not scripts to memorise.
• Silence. A silence is worse than an imperfect sentence. Use "well", "that's an interesting one", "let me think" — short, natural, then speak.
• Decoration. Do not reach for difficult vocabulary. "The library is quieter" is better than "the library offers a conducive ambience" if the simple words are yours and the hard phrase is not.

Pronunciation that changes meaning

Being understood is the standard, not sounding native. An accent 口音 is not an error. Sounds that change a word's meaning are.

Final consonants

Say these pairs aloud, finishing the last sound: cost / cos; asked / ask; fifths / fits; worked / work. In "asked" the -ed is a single /t/ sound after the /k/; it is not the syllable "ed". Chinese does not end syllables with these clusters, so they need deliberate practice — a few minutes a day for a month changes how easily you are understood.

/θ/ and /ð/, and the /l/–/n/–/r/ family

• think (air, no voice) versus sink; this (voice, tongue light) versus dis.
• light / night / right: the tongue tip touches for /l/ and /n/, and does not touch for /r/. Say "red lorry, yellow lorry" slowly, then at speed.

Word stress travels through a family

PHOtograph, phoTOgrapher, photoGRAPHic: the stressed syllable 音节 moves, and the weak vowels change with it. A listener tracks the stress first, so a misplaced stress hides an otherwise correct word. Practise the family aloud as one chain.

Sentence stress carries meaning

"I didn't say she stole it" means six different things depending on which word you lean on. Try it: I didn't say she stole it (somebody else said it); I didn't say she stole it (I implied it); I didn't say she stole it (I said something else about her). In the interview, lean on the word that carries your answer: "MORNING, because my head is clearest before lunch."

A practice routine you can keep

• Record yourself answering one interview question per day, and listen back 听回放. It is uncomfortable, and it is the single most useful thing you can do: you will hear pauses, repetitions and unfinished sentences you did not notice while speaking.
• Repeat-sentence drill: five sentences from any recording, growing length. Use news podcasts, then repeat their sentences aloud in the pause after each one.
• Talk to yourself in English during ordinary tasks: describe what you are cooking, argue with a podcast, explain your plan for tomorrow out loud.
• Practise with a timer running. The eight-minute format is the hardest part for most candidates, and rehearsing against a clock is free.
• A typed answer always flatters you: no hesitation, no silence to fill, unlimited time. Speak it aloud instead, or the practice measures your writing, not your speaking.

Check yourself

1. In Listen and Repeat, is slowing down a kindness to your pronunciation or a problem?
2. What does the answer-reason-example shape buy you in the interview?
3. Why is a silence worse than an imperfect sentence?
4. Which is the error: an accent, or a sound that changes a word's meaning?
5. Where does the stress move in PHOtograph, phoTOgrapher, photoGRAPHic — and why does it matter to a listener?
6. What does recording yourself and listening back show you that speaking alone cannot?

Explained answers

1. A problem. Slowing down breaks the sentence's rhythm, and rhythm is part of what is scored. Say it at normal speed and finish the final consonant.
2. It starts you speaking within a second, and it gives one explained point instead of a list. The clock is short; a fast start is worth more than extra content.
3. Fillers and repairs sound like speech and keep the turn alive; a long silence gives the marker nothing to score and costs the clock.
4. The sound that changes meaning. An accent is not an error; "cos" for "cost" is, because it lands as a different word.
5. To the first, second and third syllables in turn, with the weak vowels shifting too. Listeners track stress first, so a misplaced stress can hide a correct word.
6. The pauses, repetitions and unfinished sentences you cannot hear while producing speech. The recording is the only honest mirror of your timing and rhythm.

Format facts referenced in the preserved notes were checked on the ETS website on 13 September 2026. All worked material here is original classroom practice.