新托福口语应对:多米诺骨牌法
朗阁海外考试研究中心
经常听到考生们抱怨：托福个口语考题变化莫测，无从下手。但以笔者从业多年的经验来看，目前托福口语考试题库的题目从形式上可能会继续“推陈出新”，但其核心内容依旧是“换汤不换药”。那么，如何应对口语话题的变化呢？很简单，充分利用“多米诺骨牌”口语学习法。
在茫茫题海中，对每个话题一一准备是不现实的。即使可以，也会浪费考生大量的时间和精力，最后没有一个话题是自己准备完整的。关键的是，考试的时候，在紧张的状况下，常会出现大脑空白，把以前准备的内容全部忘光的情况。那么，怎样才能避免这种悲剧上演呢？朗阁海外考试研究中心给出的建议是把相关题目的思路融会贯通，也就是一个思路可供不同题目使用。就像我们小时候玩的多米诺骨牌一样，不同的话题即不同的骨牌，有机地把它们放到一起，排好，一旦我们有一个好的思路，攻克其中的一个话题，如同把一个骨牌推倒，随之系列话题，都会随即倒下。例如：A festival = A happy family event= An unforgettable event= A traditional event you attended= One favorite meal= A happy experience。
【Question】:
- Choose a place you like and explain why you like this place.
- 分析： A place = An event= One favorite meal= A happy experience
考生可以随机应变，套用经典的语句。（毕竟，考试时只用一次。——永远记住Something is better than nothing!）
【回答】： Well, the place I enjoy the most is a small town located in France. （用套句，勿忘“点题”。）I like this small town because it has very charming ocean view. I mean the sky there is so blue and the beach is always full of sunshine. You know how romantic it can ever be, just relax yourself on the beach, when the sun is setting down, when the ocean breeze is blowing and the seabirds are singing.（景色描写——“肉麻”经典套句，适合背诵。）
Of course I like this small French town also because there are many great French restaurants. They offer the best seafood in the world like lobsters and tuna fishes. The most important, I have been benefited a lot from this trip to France because I made friends with some gorgeous French girls. One of them even gave me a little watch as a souvenir of our friendship.（第二段加入了食物——lobster和tuna, 又加入了人——gorgeous French girls, 最后加了纪念品——watch, 令文章内容丰富多彩。）
【Question】:
- Choose a restaurant you like and explain why you like this restaurant.
- 分析： A restaurant = A place考生可以直接套用。
【回答】： Well, the restaurant I enjoy the most is a French restaurant located on a beautiful beach. I like this small restaurant because it has very charming ocean view. I mean the sky there is so blue and the beach is always full of sunshine. You know how romantic it can ever be, just relax yourself on the beach, when the sun is setting down, the ocean breeze is blowing and the seabirds are singing.
Of course I like this small French restaurant also because it offers the best seafood in the world like lobsters and tuna fishes. The most important, I made friends with some gorgeous French girls in that restaurant. One of them even gave me a little watch as a souvenir of our friendship.
【Question】:
- Choose an important event/ a favorite activity and give reasons explaining why this event is important/ why this activity is your favorite.
- 分析： 这里朗阁海外考试研究中心建议考生要学会把抽象的事物event/ activity转化成具体的景色描写。
【回答】： Well, one very important event in my life/my favorite activity is a little trip to France. I like this trip so much because we visited a small French town. （注意一定要有两到三句转化句，也叫点题句，即在文中标注出的句子。）The town has very charming ocean view. I mean the sky there is so blue and the beach is always full of sunshine. You know how romantic it can ever be, just relax yourself on the beach, when the sun is setting down, when the ocean breeze is blowing and the seabirds are singing.
Of course I like this little trip to France also because there are many great French restaurants. They offer the best seafood in the world like lobsters and tuna fishes. The most important, I have been benefited a lot from this trip to France because I made friends with some gorgeous French girls. One of them even gave me a little watch as a souvenir of our friendship.
【Question】:
- Describe one object that is of special value to you and explain why it is of special value to you. Please include specific examples and details in your explanation.
- 分析： 某些话题让我们使用套句的难度较大，但只要稍微动点脑筋，也可以克服困难。
【回答】： Well, the object of special value to me is a little watch. （考生记住要点题，复述原题。）The watch was designed for women and one of my French friends gave it to me as a souvenir of our friendship. This little watch is of very special meaning to me because it always reminds me of those days I spent in a beautiful French town located by the beach. My watch is deep blue, as blue as the charming ocean view on the beach. You know how romantic it can ever be, just relax yourself on the beach, when the sun is setting down, when the ocean breeze is blowing and the seabirds are singing.
The most important, I made friends with some gorgeous French girls. One of them gave me this little watch as a gift. I cherish the watch just as much as we cherish our friendship.
【Question】:
- Choose a teacher you like and explain why you like him or her. Include specific details in your statement.
- 分析： 就连A teacher都可以套用经典句子，这就到了我们——见证“奇迹”的时刻。
【回答】： Well, the teacher I admire so much is a gorgeous French lady. She was from a beautiful French small town located by the beach. She has very charming deep blue eyes, as blue as the ocean view on the beach. I admire her so much because she is not only a teacher to me but also a very good friend. Last summer, she invited me to travel to her hometown. You know how romantic it can ever be, just relax yourself on the beach, when the sun is setting down, when the ocean breeze is blowing and the seabirds are singing.
Also, she brought me to some restaurants offering the best seafood such as lobsters and tuna fishes. Finally, she gave me a little watch as the souvenir of our friendship.（注意时刻点题，不要让背诵痕迹太明显。）
【Question】:
- Everyone has a goal to fulfill. What’s your goal and explain why you want to fulfill this goal. Please include specific examples and details in your explanation.
- 分析： 就连A goal都可以套用经典句子，我们要把“不可能”变成“可能”。请看以下变化。
【回答】： Ever since I was a kid, I had a dream to travel to France. My parents told me that there is a little French town located by the beach. It has very charming ocean view. They told me the sky there is so blue and the beach is always full of sunshine. You know how romantic it can ever be, just relax yourself on the beach, when the sun is setting down, when the ocean breeze is blowing and the seabirds are singing.
Of course I want to travel to this small French town also because there are many great French restaurants. They offer the best seafood in the world like lobsters and tuna fishes. The most important, there is a good chance to make friends with some gorgeous French girls.
