Chapter 31

Speaking Task Type 3: A

Speaking questions test your ability to comprehend and respond orally to written or spoken material. You
will have to speak your response aloud. There are six different speaking tasks. Speaking Task Type 3,
Campus Situation (Fit and Explain), is an “integrated” task. You will first read a short passage about a
campus issue and then listen to a short conversation between two people about that same topic. One of the
people will express an opinion, including specific reasons to support that opinion. Your task will be to
summarize the person’s opinion and explain why she or he holds that opinion. You will be able to reread
the passage while you plan your response, but you will not be able to replay any part of the conversation.
Speaking questions test your ability to understand spoken and written information and to summarize and
express opinions about that information. They also test your ability to respond orally to specific questions,
including your grammar, your vocabulary, and the logical organization of your ideas.
How should you use this chapter? Here are some recommendations, according to the level you’ve reached in
TOEFL Speaking:
0. Everyone! Hold yourself to the time limits whenever practicing Speaking tasks. Tape your response
and listen to it afterward to analyze your performance. You can use any app on your computer or
phone to tape yourself. If you don’t know of a good app already, try www.vocaroo.com.
1. Fundamentals. Start with a type that is a “medium weakness”—not your worst Speaking question
type but not your best either. Try one question and then check the sample answer. Think carefully
about the principles at work. If you think you can do a better job, redo the question. Articulate what
you want to do differently the next time you do this type of task.
2. Fixes. Do one Speaking task, examine the results, learn your lessons, then try a different type of
Speaking task. Be sure to keep to the time limits. When you’re ready, graduate to doing a set of six
different Speaking tasks all in a row.
3. Tweaks. Confirm your mastery by doing a set of six different Speaking tasks all in a row under
timed conditions.
Good luck on Speaking!

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

31.1

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 367.

You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 45 seconds

Music Therapy Major May Be Eliminated

According to the School of Music, a need to reduce costs might require canceling the university’s low-
enrollment Music Therapy program. The program, which has existed for only a few years, attracts far fewer
incoming students than the comparatively larger Music Performance and Music Education programs. In
addition, while the Music Performance programs support themselves in part via revenue from public
performances, the Music Therapy program does not. After the currently enrolled students graduate, the
program is likely to be permanently canceled in order to free up funding.

  Listen to Track 368.

31 The woman expresses her opinion of the School of Music’s proposal. State her opinion and
explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Speaking Task Type 3: A Chapter 31

31.2

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 369.

You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 45 seconds

Housing for First-Year Students

Starting next year, entering first-year students will no longer have the option of living off campus. The new
policy is supported by research suggesting that students who live on campus during their first year earn
higher grades and have fewer disciplinary issues. Since over 90 percent of first-year students already choose
to live in campus housing each year, the new policy will affect only a small number of next year’s incoming
students.

  Listen to Track 370.

The man expresses his opinion of the campus housing policy. State his opinion and
explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion. 31
Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

31.3

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 371.

You have 50 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 50 seconds

Fast Food Coming to Campus

Fast food restaurants, right here on campus? It could actually come true, as early as next year. University
Dining Services is considering a proposal that would allow fast food restaurants to bid for the right to
sell meals in a special section of several of the university cafeterias. The university hopes that this would
increase revenue from our cafeterias, revenue that has been declining for several years due to the large
number of new restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. In order to make the plan as appealing as
possible, the fast food restaurants would be selected based on a campus-wide vote.

  Listen to Track 372.

31 The woman expresses her opinion of the fast food plan. State her opinion and explain the
reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Speaking Task Type 3: A Chapter 31

31.4

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 373.

You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 45 seconds

Day of Service
The university has announced that classes will not be held on the last Monday of the quarter, due to a
planned campus-wide day of volunteer work. Students who participate will work on volunteer projects that
emphasize giving back to the community surrounding the university, in thanks for its continued support
and assistance. We hope that all students will participate, and that they will do so with a renewed sense of
community spirit and enthusiasm for helping others.

  Listen to Track 374.

The man expresses his opinion of the university’s volunteer day. State his opinion and
explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion. 31
Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

31.5

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 375.

You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 45 seconds

Cars on Campus
Due to a number of recent policy violations, University Facilities would like to clarify the policy regarding
student cars on campus. In order to encourage on-campus interactions among new students, first-year
students are not permitted to keep a car on campus or apply for a parking permit. Due to the limited
number of parking spaces, cars belonging to second-year students may only be parked in the campus
satellite lots, not on the main campus.

  Listen to Track 376.

The man expresses his opinion of the university’s car policy. State his opinion and explain
31 the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

6
 Speaking Task Type 3: A Chapter 31

31.6

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 377.

You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 45 seconds

Mandatory Physical Education

Beginning with the current freshman class, it is now mandatory for students to complete at least two
physical education courses prior to graduation. We hope that this requirement will improve the overall
health and fitness of the student body. The initiative also reflects the university’s commitment to
encouraging students to explore non-academic areas. Students will be able to choose from any of the
existing sports and athletics classes to meet the requirement, and a number of new classes will be added to
meet demand.

  Listen to Track 378.

The woman expresses her opinion on mandatory physical education classes. State her 31
opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

31.7

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 379.

You have 50 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 50 seconds

Co-ed Dormitories
Describing traditional, single-sex dormitory buildings as “old-fashioned,” the student government has
proposed a change. The Hunt and Bell dormitories would become co-ed, or be occupied by a mix of male
and female students, starting as early as next year. This proposal was based on a recent survey of the student
body, which suggested that only a minority of university students prefer single-sex dormitories. If the
proposal is accepted, students who currently live in Hunt or Bell will be able to choose whether to stay in
the same building next year or switch to a building that allows only male or only female students.

  Listen to Track 380.

31 The man expresses his opinion on co-ed dorms. State his opinion and explain the reasons
he gives for holding that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Speaking Task Type 3: A Chapter 31

31.8

You will now read a short passage and listen to a conversation on the same topic. You
will then be asked a question about them. After you hear the question, give yourself
30 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 60 seconds.

  Listen to Track 381.

You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

Reading Time: 45 seconds

Sports Funding Cuts

Just 14 percent of all students participate in university-sponsored sports, and the university spends a large
amount of money annually to serve this small group of students. Beginning next year, all sports teams will
see their funding reduced by between 30 percent and 100 percent. Approximately 8 out of 20 total teams
will lose all of their funding and have to stop operating unless they can raise funds privately. The money
thus saved will support renovations to campus buildings, including laboratory facilities and equipment,
lecture halls, and cafeterias.

  Listen to Track 382.

The woman expresses her opinion of the funding cuts. Briefly summarize the situation. 31
Then state her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Response Time: 60 seconds

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

Answers and Explanations—31.1

Music Therapy Major May Be Eliminated—Track 368
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the article.
Female student: It’s probably best, in the long run, that they’re cutting the music therapy program.
Male student: It’s too bad, though, isn’t it? It’s a really good program.
Female student: There are actually way too many music therapy programs. There are about four
different ones within an hour of here. So their students are having a hard time finding jobs… it doesn’t
matter that it’s a good program, if there are just too many graduates.
Male student: I didn’t know there were that many.
Female student: Yeah, I think other schools realized that it was a good idea, and too many of them
started a music therapy major.
Male student: So, what happens to the professors who teach for that program?
Female student: Actually, my advisor was talking about that the other day. Most of the people who
teach music therapy came from other departments. They’ll teach one class to the music therapy students,
but most of their classes are in performance, music history, that sort of thing.
Male student: So it’s not like they’ll lose their jobs.
Female student: Exactly. Actually, it’s a good thing… they were having trouble hiring enough people to
31 teach all of the music students. Without that program, it’ll be easier to find enough teachers for all of the
other music classes.
Narrator: The woman expresses her opinion of the School of Music’s proposal. State her opinion and
explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 383

The proposal of the music school is to shut down their music therapy program. The woman in the
conversation agrees with the proposal. Her concern is that there is a lot of music therapy programs within
an hour of the… of that school, so it means that there is lots of competition. That is explaining why there
has not been a lot of enrollment in the program. And… the students graduating from the program are
having trouble for finding a job. Um, and then, there was not a har… any harm to the teachers because
the… the teachers that teach music therapy already teach other music classes… already. And now they are
having more time to do the music lessons, which… those other lessons are really in demand, so that will
be helping the music school.

Comments
The student does a good job of summarizing the opinion of the woman. His response provides
multiple details from the conversation. He does have a few errors, but his comments overall are
still clear, logical, and organized.

10

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Answers and Explanations—31.2

Housing for First-Year Students—Track 370
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the article.
Male student: Why do they care whether people live off campus during their first year?
Female student: Did you read the article about it? Supposedly, people who live on campus get better
grades.
Male student: Sure. Maybe a few people live off campus so that they can party and get into trouble. But
on the other hand, a lot of people find it easier to study when they’re not in a dorm.
Female student: That’s true, the dorm I was in my first year… my roommate listened to the worst
music. I could never concentrate there.
Male student: Yeah, so if you make somebody live in a dorm, maybe it’ll help them… or maybe it’ll end
up actually hurting their grades.
Female student: I would’ve gotten better grades if I lived off campus!
Male student: Plus, I think a lot of people live off campus for good reasons. What if somebody has to
take care of their grandparents or their siblings?
Female student: Right. They can’t do anything about that—if they can’t live off campus, they might not
be able to go to school at all.
Male student: And staying in the dorms is so expensive. It’s not fair to make people pay that much, if
31
they could find an apartment down the road that costs half what the dorms do.
Narrator: The man expresses his opinion of the campus housing policy. State his opinion and explain
the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 384

The man, uh, does not think that the university should, uh, force students to live at the dorms their first
year. Um, he believes, even though studies have shown, um, students who live at dorms get higher grades
typically, he thinks that might not be true for all students. Um, if somebody, you know, finds it easier to
study outside of dorms or if they have a… a roommate who maybe, uh, listens to a lot of music, that may
actually hurt their grades. Um, he also says that, uh, sometimes people have a family obligation. They
might, uh, have to take care of a grandparent or sister, um, and if they’re not able to do that, because, uh,
because they live at the dorms, well that would be really, uh, challenging for some students. Um, and also,
he brings up… point that the dorms are very expensive, um, and students may be able to find lower-cost
housing… outside of campus.

Comments
The student accurately summarizes the main points made by the male student. She could
improve her response by reducing the number of times she says “um” and “uh.”

11

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

Answers and Explanations—31.3

Fast Food Coming to Campus—Track 372
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the article.
Female student: You know, I don’t think the fast food plan is a great idea.
Male student: Why? Just because it’s unhealthy?
Female student: Sure, that’s part of it. The food in the cafeteria is already really unhealthy… more
people would probably want a healthier option, not an even less healthy one.
Male student: People will say they want healthy food… but fast food will probably make more money.
Female student: Maybe… but that doesn’t mean that we should help people be unhealthy! If they want
bad food, they can go to the burger place right across the street.
Male student: Or the donut place…
Female student: Haha. There’s actually something else though, too. The article said they’re having
revenue problems because of all the new restaurants in the neighborhood… but what if you look at it from
their perspective? All of those restaurants rely on students.
Male student: It’s true, everywhere off campus is always full at lunch time.
Female student: And a lot of them are just small, local places. If you add a bunch of food options on
campus, you’re taking away a lot of their business… it seems like it’s really unfair to them. It might bring
31 revenue in for the university, but it’d be hurting the rest of the neighborhood.
Narrator: The woman expresses her opinion of the fast food plan. State her opinion and explain the
reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 385

The woman in this conversation is against the idea of… allowing fast food restaurants to sell food in the
cafeterias. Her first reason is about health. She thinks the cafeterias already have unhealthy food and this
will just be even more unhealthy food… and even though people may not say they want it… we should… we
should still be selling more healthy options. Then the woman’s second reason is about the, um, impact on
local businesses. They are… the cafeteria is losing revenue because people are also going to local restaurants
instead of the cafeteria. Just… local people who own these little restaurants. But the woman points out that
if the fast food places start putting fast food in the cafeteria then… then that will hurt the local businesses,
so… “Shouldn’t we care about them, too?” I guess is her point.

Comments
The student conveys the woman’s opinion about the fast food plan. He also summarizes the
reasons given by the woman. The end of his response is a little weaker than the rest. He may have
been a little unsure what the woman’s final point was. If this happens to you, try to find a way to
talk about the point without talking about the detail that you didn’t understand. For example, this
student could have ended his response right after “then that will hurt the local businesses.”

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Answers and Explanations—31.4

Day of Service—Track 374
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the article.
Female student: What do you think about the volunteer day next month?
Male student: Actually, well… I think it’s a terrible idea. Volunteer work is really important, sure, but
the school should have done more planning before they announced this.
Female student: Why, what’s wrong with it?
Male student: So, it’s the last Monday of the quarter… that’s actually the last day of classes before
exams start.
Female student: Oh, is it really? I didn’t look at the calendar.
Male student: Yeah. So you probably get what I’m saying. Nobody’s going to be in class anyways, but
that’s just because everybody skips classes that day to study for exams. Everybody’s just going to stay on
campus and study.
Female student: Yeah, I probably won’t be able to do the volunteer day, then… I have an economics
final the next day. I’ll feel bad, but studying is more important.
Male student: Plus, I think it’s going to cause some issues… the list of volunteer projects, almost all of
them are off campus. So what about people who don’t have cars or who don’t want to leave campus? I don’t
know that many people who have a car here… I bet a lot of the projects aren’t going to have enough
volunteers because of that. If they wanted it to work, they’d have to have more things you could do on 31
campus. Or they could have vans or buses or something.
Narrator: The man expresses his opinion of the university’s volunteer day. State his opinion and explain
the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 386

The man, um, thinks that there are a few different things wrong with the way that the university planned
the volunteer day. Um, first, it is the last day of classes before students have exams. So, typically at that
university, he says that, um, students usually don’t come to class on that day. They usually study for their
exams instead. Um, so, it’s not a day that, uh, students really have free. It’s a day that they need to work on
their studies to be able to, um, you know, get ready for exams. Um, second, he says that there… uh, most
of the, um, volunteer opportunities that the university provided are off campus and students would need
to take a car, uh, or bus to go there, and most students that live on campus don’t have cars. Um, the
university didn’t, uh, anticipate that. They could plan, for example, for, uh, buses or vans to take the
students over.

Comments
The student correctly conveys the man’s opinion about the volunteer day. She addresses all of
his concerns. She could improve her response by reducing the number of times that she says
“um” or “uh.”

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

Answers and Explanations—31.5

Cars on Campus—Track 376
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the announcement.
Female student: Hey, this is your second year, right?
Male student: Yeah.

Female student: Oh, no. Did you read the car policy announcement?
Male student: Everybody’s complaining about it. But I think they’re complaining for no reason. It’s
never bothered me.
Female student: Isn’t it sort of inconvenient for you? You live on campus… you’d have to go out of your
way to go get your car.
Male student: Actually, there’s a bus that goes right from main campus to the satellite lots. It’s actually
quicker for me to take the bus to my car than it is to walk from my dorm to the main parking lot. And
there’s no bus that goes to the main parking lot.
Female student: Oh, okay. So do you use the bus a lot?
Male student: Yeah, I do. And the other thing I like about the car policy is, it means that more people
use the bus or walk instead of driving around. It just makes campus feel quieter during the day. When
I only have half an hour for lunch, I want to walk across the street and get food without worrying about
getting hit by a car, you know? It’s worth it to me to park a little further away, if it means there’s less traffic
31 on campus.
Narrator: The man expresses his opinion of the university’s car policy. State his opinion and explain the
reasons he gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 387

The student is not bothered by the, um… the new rule that requires second-year students to park their cars
in the satellite lot. He does have a car but… the bus that travels from his dorm to that lot is very… he finds
it very convenient. Uh, he feels that the campus is more safe because there are fewer cars, um, parking
there, uh, or students… fewer students parking their cars on campus. And, um, the… the fact that public
transportation is being used is also maybe better for the environment so we see some benefit there. Overall,
he doesn’t feel, um, annoyed by the change and actually thinks that the… the bus that would take him
from his dorm to the satellite lot is more convenient than walking from his dorm. Um, so overall, it’s more
efficient and easier.

Comments
The student accurately summarizes the man’s opinion. He also summarizes all of the reasons
given by the man. However, the student does introduce some information that was not given in
the conversation (“better for the environment”). It’s better to limit your response to information
that was given in the passage or conversation.

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Answers and Explanations—31.6

Mandatory Physical Education—Track 378
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the announcement.
Male student: So, which sports classes are you going to take?
Female student: Ugh. I think that requirement is ridiculous.
Male student: Really? But it’s good to get some exercise!
Female student: I agree! I’m actually on the volleyball team! I get a lot of exercise. That’s the problem,
actually—I’m already in practice almost every day… I don’t want to add another sports class on top of that.
It’s too much—I’ll be too tired for class.
Male student: True.
Female student: Plus, the volleyball courts and the weight room are already too crowded. When I work
out, unless it’s during practice with the whole team, I have to wait forever to use the weight machines. Can
you imagine what will happen if practically everyone at school has to be there for class, every week?
Male student: Yeah, it would be way too hectic. You’d have to wait in line to even get into the gym.
Female student: From what I heard, they aren’t planning to add any new equipment or space… they just
want to squeeze all of these new classes into our tiny gym. I just don’t think there’s enough room.
Narrator: The woman expresses her opinion on mandatory physical education classes. State her opinion
and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
31
Sample Spoken Response—Track 388
The female student is not happy with, um, the mandatory sports classes at the university. Um, she is already
a member of the volleyball team, so she says that she is already, you know, since she’s playing a sport she has
a ton of exercise, um, already. She thinks that if she’s forced to do more, that she will be too tired, um, you
know, for her academic classes. It’s just a lot of, uh, you know, a lot of exercise when she’s already getting
plenty. Um, she also thinks that the… the facilities, the courts and the weight room are too crowded with
students already. Um, and she doesn’t think that the school’s gonna add any new equipment or new spaces.
They’re just gonna add new, um, you know, classes and requirements, so even more students will be using
the facilities and it will be too crowded.

Comments
The student clearly conveys the woman’s opinion and provides all of the reasons given by the
woman. She could improve her response by training herself to avoid saying “you know.” It is better
to pause briefly to give yourself time to think.

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 Chapter 31 Speaking Task Type 3: A

Answers and Explanations—31.7

Co-ed Dormitories—Track 380
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing the proposal.
Male student: I don’t know what I think of the co-ed dorms… it seems a little weird.
Female student: It’s not like you have to share a room with a woman, though, right? You just live on the
same floor.
Male student: But Hunt only has female students right now, so they only have one bathroom on each
floor. They’d have to change some to men’s bathrooms, and some to women’s… either way, half of the
people there would have to go up or down the stairs, just to shower.
Female student: Do you live in one of those dorms?
Male student: No, but I wish I did. Bell is really nice.
Female student: Yeah, they’re right by the cafeteria. And they have the biggest rooms of anywhere on
campus.
Male student: And that seems like a problem too, right? If a guy doesn’t want to live in a co-ed dorm,
and he lives in Bell right now, he’d have to move. I wouldn’t mind living on the same floor with women,
but I know that some guys would be uncomfortable with it. And they shouldn’t have to move out of the
nicest dorm on campus if they already live there.
Narrator: The man expresses his opinion on co-ed dorms. State his opinion and explain the reasons he
31 gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 389

The man is not very excited about, uh, the co-ed dorm change, or the change from some dorms to… from
single-sex to co-ed. Some of his, um, arguments against this would be that there is only a single bathroom
on a few floors of this dorm and, uh, male and female students wouldn’t be able to use the same bathroom,
so some people might have to go up or down a floor depending on what bathroom they use. Another reason
he gives would be that, uh, some students might be uncomfortable with co-ed dorms, um, which is true
based on some of his friends… that is… uh that is, the man knows that some of his friends would be
uncomfortable with this. So it’s possible that they would have to move out of a dorm that was nicer and live
in a dorm that was less nice because they are uncomfortable with the co-ed situation.

Comments
The student does a good job of explaining the man’s opinion and summarizing his reasons. In
the middle of the response, the student struggled a bit to articulate one part (“which is true
based on some of his friends”). He paused for a moment to think, though, and corrected himself.
If this happens to you, don’t be afraid to pause for a moment and then restate what you were
trying to say.

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Answers and Explanations—31.8

Sports Funding Cuts—Track 382
Narrator: Now listen to two students discussing an announcement.
Female student: This is completely unfair!
Male student: How come? If it’s true that only 14 percent of students are playing sports, then it seems
unfair to spend so much money on just those students.
Female student: What about other clubs, like theater or debate? They aren’t cutting their funding, even
though they only have a small percentage of students, too.
Male student: Maybe those activities are more popular?
Female student: They’re not! The same survey showed that of all of the clubs or activities on campus,
university sports are the most popular. Look—74 percent of all students participate in at least one club or
sport, but each one only covers 9 to 14 percent of the students by itself. So each individual activity covers
just a small group, but collectively most of us participate in at least one activity.
Male student: Oh, I didn’t realize that. You might be right. But it wouldn’t be any more fair to cut those
other clubs instead.
Female student: I’m not suggesting that. If they spread the cuts across all clubs and sports, then we
probably wouldn’t have to lose any sports or clubs. Plus, there are a lot of benefits to playing sports. It helps
people stay healthy and relieve stress. It’s important for the university to help people stay physically active.
Narrator: The woman expresses her opinion of the funding cuts. Briefly summarize the situation. Then 31
state her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

Sample Spoken Response—Track 390

The university has decided to, uh, to cut the funding for sports programs and then to reallocate those funds
to support, um, other campus services like the cafeteria or laboratories. So the woman is particularly upset
about this, um, because all of the… the funding is being, uh, removed from sports clubs and sports clubs
are the most popular in the university, so more students participate in them than, uh, than any other clubs
and… and… her argument is that if you reduce the budget or the amount of money going to all of the
clubs, then some sports clubs can be preserved. She thinks it is unfair to take away money just from sports
clubs and some of those will go away, whereas if you spread the… the costs from, um, other clubs, you
wouldn’t lose any.

Comments
The student accurately conveys the woman's opinion. She also summarizes the woman's r­ easoning
and proposed change to the plan. In the middle of her response, she has a long, run-on sentence,
and her message becomes a bit redundant. She recovers by pausing for a moment and then
beginning a new sentence.

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