TOEFL Writing Topic 185 回答アイディアプール vol.2

CBT/PBT時代にETSが作成・公表したWritingの問題サンプル185トピック(PDF:Writing Topics)、回答アイディアプール第2弾(91~185問目)です。iBTのSpeaking/Writingセクションでかなり参考になるのでぜひどうぞ!!

ask a famous person - What would you ask & why - what is the most hardest experience?
① his hard experience shows how difficult his success is
② can acquire something important from his hard experience

same weather/weather changes several times - same
① you have only to buy clothes for the same weather, so that you pay less for clothing
② Without climate change, it is easier to look after one's health

important qualities of a good roommate
① help you when you're in trouble - give you some useful advice
② have a similar hobby - playing games or reading books

dancing - an important role in a culture - agree
① dancing gets influenced by the religion of the country
② dancing often uses special products of the country

governments - should spend money for outer space/our basic needs - outer spacce
① to get more natural resource for human life
- which could be replaced with oil or natural gas
② to use more land for human to live on
- increasing population leads to scarcity of lands of the Earth

what way - relief your stress - playing sports
① playing sports helps me concentrate and forget unpleasant things
② playing sports makes my mind resistant to stress

teachers - paid according to how much students learn - disagree
- the first obligation as a student is studying
① teachers should tell their students how important friendship is
② teachers should tell their students how important making effrots is

one thing - representing your country - green tea
① green tea is one of the most famous local products of Japan
② green tea represents traditional spirit of harmony, unique to Japan
- Samurai often had greent tea to concentrate mentally before his battle

share your dormitory room - choose roommates by yourself/university - by yourself
① living with a person who is not a close friend is very tired because I must always care for him
② knowing each other helps exchange information smoothly

governments - spend money on computer technology/basic need
① helps communicate with many people and acquire lots of information
- in the era of wisdom in which a high value will be placed on information
- in the Information Age, it is not too much to say that nothing is more important than getting proper information quickly
② contribute to the creation of employment
- the Internet business can start easily, holding down initial investment

work by hand/machine - machine
① can save much cost
② can save much time
- fit with the times based on large-scale production and comsumption

schools ask their students to evaluate their teachers - disagree
① some teachers try to gain students' favor
- they don't concentrate thier energy on teaching
② students should use thier important time not to evaluate others but to study

characteristics - successful person
① is strict about time
- those who are punctual do not bother others and can use precious time efficiently
② is kind to others
- those who help others would be helped when in trouble

contribute to society - artists/scientists - scientists
① can save many lives
- genius scientists' company, Genentech developed a lot of new medicine to help millions of people
② contribute to advancement of technology
- most of technology we use now were invented by scientists, such as electric lighting, a computer or the Internet
- our life in the future would be more affluent and more convenient

students at universities - live in university dormitories/apartments in the community
① neighbors would help when in trouble and also help study
② can save much cost
- In Japan, living in a dormitory is much cheaper than living in an apartment

travel - 40 miles - transportation
car - driving is very interesting to me
- However, I get tired easily when driving a car
train - All I have to do is to ride on a seat
- However, it costs more to take a train than to drive my own car
- 40 miles are not too long for me, so that I enjoy driving

higher education - open to everyone/available only to good students
① help improve the academic average with good reputation
- Everyone can take many courses of M.I.T. or Stanford University on "iTunes U" for free.
② There are more chance to produce a lot of ideas or new discovery by university education open to every student

advantages - best way to learn - listen to the advice/personal experience
① listen to family or friends
- can take measures to avoid the danger beforehand
- can prepare to get more chance to succeed beforehand
② personal experience
- personal experience would never be forgot because we store the memory of it

another country - follow the new customs/keep their own customs - follow
① learn the culture there naturally
② many people living there are kind to you

spend time - alone/with friends - alone
① decide what to do or where to go without any interruption
② can change activity anytime I want, when doing something

children - study/play - play
① Playing helps children glow and get healthy
② children understand the importance of friendship or teamwork through playing with friends

a new university will be in your community
advantage
- There could be useful facilities for students such as a library, a bookstore, or a hospital
disadvantage
- There could be some noise problems, such as loud voice of students or the engine sound of motercycle

important influence on young adults - parents/friends - friends
① studying or playing with friends could help the young understand the importance of friendship or teamwork
② it also encourages young adults to do their best to emulate their friends
- it helps be the young who hate to lose and they never let things get the better of them

plan carefully/not plan at all - each benefit & which prefer
plan carefully
① can use time as efficiently as possible
② can prepare for a lot of troubles
free
① when bored, you can quickly change what to do or where to go
② when in unexpected trouble, you need not be unconstrained by some plans

learn - do things/read/listen to people - do
① we never forget things that you really experienced
② through doing actually, we can understand something important that reading books or listening to others does not show

friends - similar to/different from you - compare & which prefer
similar
① can share common tastes - playing sports or reading books
② can share a lot of sense
different
① give me new advice from a different point of view
② maintaining a certain distance of feeling is important to friendship
- Too much is not too good.

do new things/stay the same - compare & which prefer
do new things
① can get so much power and stimulation from new experience
② can meet a lot of person in different fields
stay the same
① can make deeper study of their major
② help form an intimate relationship between you and those who are in the same field

different clothes influence the way people behave - agree
① When wearing black or red, I feel naughty. And, light pink and white, I feel more relaxed.
I agree that the color of the clothing that you wear can influence your mood.
② When in uniform, I have a feeling to work sincerely

The decisions that people make quickly are always wrong - disagree
① One’s instinct is based on one’s own experience
- In business, many good entrepreneurs make intuitive decision, which is based on their hard experience
② When you decide quickly, you can use more time to deal with the case

First impression - trust/do not believe - do not believe
do not believe
① looks could be deceiving. you can’t judge a book by its cover.
② quick judgment causes some bad relation
trust
① clothes show one’s taste, so it is too much to say the first impression is false

people are never satisfied with what they have - agree
① people are ever wanting
② the proverb says that blue are the faraway hills.

people should read books of reality - disagree
① cultivate the imagination and creativity
② learning many literary masterpiece helps improve great artistry

students - more important - history and literature/science and mathematics - science and mathematics
① science - contribute to advancement of new technology
② mathematics - at the age of Information, every basic research is based on mathmatics

students - study music or art - agree
① help learn about history of the world
② can have elevated artistic tastes - cultivate the imagination and creativity

there is nothing that young people can teach older people
① mainstream trend among the young
② what the young feel about any products or services

reading fiction is more enjoyable than watching movies - disagree
① to see people moving is thought-provoking
② watching movies are interesting in a shorter time than reading

students - physical exercise/academic in a whole - physical exercise
① physical exercise helps the young be healthy
② students acquire the importance of teamwork or friendship through physical exercise

university - research center - business research/agriculture - business research
① contributes to the discovery of new technology
② economic analysis helps us live a full life

young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports
advantage
① playing sports helps the young be healthy
② young children acquire the importance of teamwork or friendship through physical exercise
disadvantage
lose much time to study

Only people who earn a lot of money are successful - disagree
① success is not only based on money
② those who have much money don't have time to use it

invent - the new mobile wireless network, which we can use for free
① people communicate with friends for free everywhere
② people can acquire much information through the Internet

a person's childhood years are the most important years of a person's life - agree
① it is said that a child learns more efficiently than the old.
② friends in a childhood have been friends for all one's life

children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so - agree
① concern for others is important
② children should soon take care of themselves

school - uniform/free wear - uniform
① wearing a uniform lets students think they go to school and study hard
② deciding what to wear costs much more and loses more time than wearing a uniform

playing a game is fun only when you win - disagree
① when playing a game, I could know something important in my life
② playing a game is fun not in itself but because of communicating with friends

high schools should allow students to study the courses that students want to study - agree
① students learn what they like more quickly and efficiently than what they don't like
② high school should help each student develop their advantage

It is better to be a member of a group than to be the leader of a group - disagree
① higher position, happier I would be when succeed
② those who is in a high position could meet other people in a similar position and share knowledge or information

what do you consider to be the most important room in a house - my study
① through reading many books, I can acquire knowledge or information
② I feel at ease when reading books

items made by hand/machine - hand
① items made with great care could be durable - be checked out carefully
② develop emotional attachments to those items

one change in your school - a library with computer networking
① could search easily what students want to read
② could find proper information through the Internet, which helps me study efficiently

what gift - help a child develop - encyclopedia
① there are a variety of attractive things which help children learn, such as nature, science or information technology
- I want them to get intrested in several things
② help a child develop reading skill

live in a traditional house/a modern apartment building - a moderu apartment building
① is fully functioning, such as a built-in kitchen or an automatic water heater - help do things easily
② could rearrange furniture easily to help each of all the families live at comfort
③ do not need too much care about repairing some aging points such as an exterior or a flooring

advertise - buy things we don't need/tell us about new products that may improve our lives - tell us about new products that may improve our lives
① through advertisements, we could learn what a company made and how it would change our lives
② advertisements tell us simply some main features of what a company made
- the commercial message of iPod touch becomes topics of conversation, due to its amazing functionality and operationability

spend free time - outdoors/indorrs - outdoors
① could meet and talk with a variety of friends, through playing sports or going shopping
② going out and taking exercise could be good for one's health
- even only walking helps remove fat

school - spend money - a library with computer networking
① could search easily what students want to read
② could find proper information through the Internet, which helps me study efficiently

playing games teaches us about life - agree
① playing games tells us that it is important in one's life to get around the difficulties
② playing games shows the importance of working together with a good teamwork

use some land - build sports facilities
① I want those to be used by professional athletes of a variety of sports, such as soccer, tennis or baseball, when camping or training
② I want to become friends with them, and share their joy when winning and accomplishing the goal

watching television is bad for children - agree
① it would make them lose their good eyesight
② it often contains violent or pornographic contents, which is bad for growth of children

the most important animal in Japan - dog
① one of the most popular pet in Japan is a dog
- they are always with people
- people enjoy spending time with pets such as dogs
② a dog has a healing power
- in this stressful world, a dog helps us feel relaxing
- a dog serves as a lubricant in the family conversation

important natural resourse - forests
① if deforestation continues, the ecological system will break up
- forests absorb carbon dyoxide, which causes global warming,
generate oxygen, which is needed for human and other animals
② if forests disappear, many animals might go homeless
- most animals become extinct, which means that people cannot live well

a zoo has no useful purpose - disagree
① many people feel enjoyable and comfortable in a zoo
- seeing many live animals, which we see in some encyclopedias, could be interesting
② it helps people understand how animals live
- understanding that we, including animals,
are members of the earth is one of the most important ideas in the world

prevent - smoke in many places - agree
① it is bad for one's health
- many people do not think seriously how big the impact of tabacco is on health
- more people died from tabacco-related causes,
such as cancer or pneumonia, than those who don't smoke
② secondhand smoke is worse than mainstream one
- those who is around a smoking man unintendedly absorb secondhand smoke
- the research shows that secondhand smoke is more dangerous to one's body than mainstream one

a kind of plant - important - to generate oxygen
① through photosynthesis, a plant generates oxygen, which is needed for human life
② before generating oxygen, a plant absorbs carbon dioxide, which causes global warming

which country - traveling for two weeks - England
① I really want to go watching many games of the Premier League,
which is called the strongest soccer league in the world
② I also want to see the British Museum,
which is now one of the largest in the world, housing more than seven million articles.
- it is said that we can't see all the articles in even two weeks

TOEFL Writing Topic 185 回答アイディアプール vol.1

CBT/PBT時代、TOEFLの親元ETSが以前にWritingの問題サンプルとして公表した185題のトピックがあるのをご存知でしょうか?ETSの公式サイトからダウンロード可能です(PDF:Writing Topics)。これらの問題ですが、決して旧時代の遺物と思わず、現行のiBTのWriting、加えて Speaking(Independentセクション)にも応用が可能なのです。ETSがこれら185題のWritingトピックを実際に作成したということは、そのままiBTに転用されることは稀にしろ、iBT用のWriting/Speakingスキルの向上・ネタ出しの俊敏性アップに直結することは間違いありません。そこで自分がTOEFL iBT勉強時に用意したWritingトピック185題用の回答例(要点のみ・各題2つずつ)を以下に掲載してみたいと思います。本記事では前半90題分までカバーしたいと思います。当時は英語力が稚拙なので、間違っていたり疑問点があったりする場合も多々あると思いますが、どうか寛容な目でご覧頂きコメントやメールなどでご連絡いただければと思います!どれか1つでも皆さんの役に立てれば、と切に思います。

why people attend university
① to learn a lot of things
② to make it smoother to get a job

Parents are the best teachers - agree
① scolding helps a child realize that he/she is misataken
② praised enough by parents, a child gets confidence

Easy food preparation changes the way people live - agree
① frozen food can save more time to cook
- all you have to do to eat this pizza is to microwave it.
② precooked food can be got in every convenience store or shop

experience/book which is important - experience
① experience is the best teacher
- people never forget what they have once acquired through their real experience
② The successful experience yields next success

building a large factory near your community - disagree
① environmental pollution such as air contamination or water pollution
② noise pollution threatens our life

change one important thing in your hometown
- a big shopping center
① can bring many people to my hometown and make prosperous
② it becomes convenient to go shopping because there are a few small shops in my hometown

movies or TV influence people's behavior
① movies often move people's heart or motivate to keep up
② television gives us the latest information - such as a prompt report of the earthquake

TV has destroyed communication among friends and family - disagree
① interesting TV programs lubricate communications among friends
② talk up a storm about TV programs when eating lunch or dinner

live in a big city or a small town - a big city
① can get anything necessary as soon as possible
② There are a lot of facilities such as a library or a gym

success due to only hard work / luck - luck
① Someone who met accidently / dropped in with helps you
② a book I bought unexpectedly gives me important information

university gives as much money to library as to sports - diagree
① a man who likes playing sports also has a sense of studying
② a man who only studies might be unhealthy

why people visit museums
① to acquire new knowledge
② to broaden a sense of beauty

eat at food stands/eat at home - at home
① can save a plenty of costs
② a well-balanced diet

university students - attend classes - required/optional - required
① a student who attends every class usually can get a better grade
② can communicate with other students

the qualities of a good neighbor
① do not give you any troubles and is not too officious
② is kind to children and adults

building a new restaurant in your neighborhood - agree
① can have a good meal whenever I like
② many restaurants which have been in my neighborhood might improve in thier taste --??

learn better by themselves/with a teacher - a teacher
① when learning, I can save more time with a teacher's advice
② a teacher gives me a lot of information which I do not know

the qualities of a good supervisor (boss)
① give me lots of good advice
② can communicate smoothly with the young and the old

improve roads and highways/public transportation - public transportation
① public transportation can save lots of travel expenses
② a network of public transportation can go easily everywhere I want

children - grow up in the countryside/a big city - in the countryside
① There are few things that disturb children in their studying
② living in the countryside allows a close contact between children and nature

the cause of living longer
① progress of the field of medicine
- technology of surgery and development of new medicine
② improving our food
- high nutritional value

important characteristics of a co-worker
① friendly/charming - can communicate smoothly
② give some advice or help when I'm in trouble

teenagers have jobs when still students - disagree
① prevent students from studying, which is students' duty
- can not concentrate on studying/learning
② with money they earn, they will not study but play

an acquaintance like/dislike your hometown - like
① delicious food, such as udon, a kind of noodles,
- which is a specialty/well-known product of Kagawa
② still have a rich natural environment
- a view from the mountaintop/a starry sky is beautiful

building a large shopping center in your neighborhood - agree
① everytime I can buy everything I want
② many people come to my town, so that my hometown would be prosperous

building a movie theater in your neighborhood - agree
① everytime I can see every movie I want
② many people come to my town, so that my hometown would be prosperous

do things that they do not enjoy - disagree
① they should do the given task because they must earn money to live
② broaden both the mind and the ability

the media usually pay too much attention to celebrities - disagree
① though we have the right to know, everyone does not request such too excessive reports
② get exhausted mentally
- can not do their best/commite suicide

human activity harm/help the Earth - harm
① discharging carbon dioxide too much by industrialization leads to the global warming
② deforestation - many animals lose their home

building a new high school in my community - agree
① There could be useful facilities for students such as a library, a bookstore, or a hospital.
② many family live near my town, so that it would be prosperous.

live in one place/move a number of times - move
① can accumlate a lot of friends
② get so much new stimulation from each new surrounding

enjoy/save your money - save
① can cut wasteful spending and do not buy on impulse
② can prepare for contingency situations such as severe injuries or getting laid off

use money for jewelry/concert - concert
① can meet the very artist that I have long wanted to
② can raise my spirits

businesses should hire employees for their entire lives - disagree
① one's life should depend not on a company but on one's will
② to make more profits and dividends, the right person should be matched to the right place in a company

attend a live performance/watch TV - watch TV
① can save some costs such as payment for tickets or transportation
② if the program is not interesting, I can change the channel on my TV
- watching concerts or sporting events is not always fun

change people's lives - automobiles/bicycles/airplanes - airplanes
① people can enjoy traveling abroad
② airplanes provide support for expanding trade
- can save more time and more costs/can remove the danger for voyages

progress is always good - disagree
① technology might cause harm the Earth
- discharging carbon dioxides and deforestation
② improving food threatens our body
- using of chemical additives causes a lot of health effects

learning about the past has no value - disagree
① looking into the past helps us learn from the lessons of history
② we can use statistical data to estimate the future

students can learn more information and learn it more quickly with the help of technology - agree
① many published books and the Internet help students acquire more knowledge
② using the Internet gives students proper information more quickly than ever

"Never, never give up" means to keep trying and never stop working
① continuing efforts is the shortest way to succeed
② due to stopping on the way, I might lose an important chance

human needs for more land/saving land for endangered animals - human needs
① it might cost too much to save and protect endangered animals
- research, managing protected regions, check their health - for a long time
② large growth in population and industrialization cause land scarcity

a very important skill to succeed in the world today
① ability to get the adequate information more quickly than others
- from someone, the market trend, the Internet or so
② ability to take action as soon as possible, based on the proper information

people are attracted to danger
① many people like to perch themselves in a dangerous location to experience more thrills and exhilaration
② many people like to do what others do not

travel with a companion/travel alone
① can go to any countries which I want to go
② can make my travel plan with no attention to friends
- where to go, when to arrive and leave

get up early in the morning/work until late at night - get up early
① help me clear my head and can work efficiently
② pleasant working conditions
- can avoid early-morning commuter jam, if I get up one hour earlier

the important qualities of a good son or daughter
① never forget to thank for parents
② care about parents

work for a large/small company - small
① with my company's growth I can develop my ability to work
- harder I work, more my company grow
② even when I'm young, I can take on responsible jobs

some reasons except money to work
① to acquire new knowledge or abilities
② communicating with people is fun for many workers

face-to-face communication is better than letters or e-mail - agree
① it is warmer and more positive communication
- make favorable and deep impressions on those who actually meet
② can express things through delicate nuance which cannot be conveyed with written letters

do only what they already do well/try new things - try new things
① new experience could broaden one's ability/give him/her lots of new information
② lead him/her to a new encounter
- can make many valuable contacts and someone might help him/her

success comes from taking risks or chances/careful planning - taking risks or chances
① Great happiness, great danger.
- a high-risk challenge tends to be more successful than low-risk one
② Make hay while the sun shines.
- a successful man does not always miss a chance.

what makes your town appealing to people - Sunport Takamatsu
① there are many shopping centers for the young in this building
② it is very close to the station where all of railroads in my hometown cross

job's importance - money a person earns - agree
① earned money is directly related to performance of one's work
② when my salary is paid, I get a sense of accomplishment

judge a person by external appearances - disagree
① we cannot judge someone based on looks only
- I have many friends who are flashily dressed but are very thoughtful
- Masashi, who bleach his hair green, is always concerned about the nation's future
② some bad things happen when judged by appearance

a person should never make an important decision alone - agree
① some bad points in the decision a person made alone could be pointed out
② Two heads are better than one.
- can conceive a bright idea

company - support the arts/protect the environment - protect the environment
① it can save more people to protect the environment than supporting the arts
② can leave a better environment to our descendants

movie - make people serious/amused - serious
① important lessons from a serious movie could be used in actual life
② a serious movie turns one's thought to the problem

business - do anything they can to make a profit - disagree
① must not hurt innocent people - against the law
- cheat someone out of their money/take up one's convenience
② must not destroy the nature
- cannnot leave a better environment to our descendants

live in a hurry/at a slower pace - in a hurry
① those who keep to the minute give people a good impression
② getting things done early gives more free time

games - as important for adults as for children
① playing games is a great relief for stress/relieve stress
② adults could contact with their children through playing games

parents decide children(15-18 years old)'s act - disagree
① children has their own criteria for judgement
② would deprive them of independence

the qualities of a good friend - a reliable friend is best for me
① when I'm in trouble, he will help me or give me some important advice
② act as a leader - lead us to a better consequence

past experiences becomes lessons for the future - agree
① looking into the past helps us learn from the lessons of history
② we can use statistical data to estimate the future

work for themselves/for an employer - own a business
① higher position, happier I would be when succeed
② those who is in high position could meet other people in similar position

preserve old buildings/destroy and replace them with modern buildings - preserve
① old buildings with histrical value is the best teaching material for the young
② can appeal to foreign tourists as the tradition of Japan

classmates is more important in school than parents - agree
① one's reputation at school is mostly dependent on classmates
② making many friends in one's class leads to having many friends in other classes

what kind of worker would you like to hire
- an inexperienced worker at a lower salary
① share his experience with other workers
② a low salary is help for finances of my company

homework is necessary for students - agree
① through homework every day students get the habit of studying
② feel a sense of accomplishment when they finished their tasks

a subject which you haven't study but want to learn - Chinese
① learning Chinese helps me communicate with Chinese people when traveling
② I want to watch Chinese movies without Japanese subtitles

automobile - improve modern life/cause problems - problem
① causes car accidents, which kill many people
② discharging carbon dioxides causes global warming

high-paying/more time with friends and family - more free time
① Even if I earn much money, it means nothing if I don't have the time to use it
② The time with their friends or families can't be replaced with money

grades encourage students to learn - agree
① good grades shows that the way students learn is not exactly wrong
② when getting good grades, students are willing to study the subjects deeply

computers - made life convenient/complex - convenient
① we can get a lot of information through the Internet
② we can calculate and get proper information more quickly than ever before

travel in a group led by a tour guide
① a guide know secret hot spots which tourists don't know
② traveling in numbers is more fun than alone
- enjoy reminscing about our traveling

university students - many subjects/one specialized subject - many subjects
① broaden your ability through various subjects, which have indirect connections with your major
② can communicate with many people with different ideas

children - learn a foreign languate sooner - agree
① earlier children learn a foreign language, better they are at using it.
② can communicate with many foreign people in early childhood

boys&girls separate class - disagree
① when separating - conversely, cannot concentrate in studying due to attracting the attention of the opposite sex
② nuture friendship between men and women

work with a group/indepently - group
① can exchange various ideas
② the division of work helps us finish the task early

who - choose a person - making his statue - Masayoshi Ohira
① he is the first person in my city to be the prime minister
② he financed many small companiess in my city and helped grow them

a custom in Japan - attract foreign people - the kimono
① The kimono, a beautiful traditional garment, is a source of pride for Japanese.
② People in kimonos can also enjoy free admission to many tourist attractions in Japan such as museums or temples.

technology makes the world better - agree
① progress in transportation such as automobiles or airplanes has developed commercial activities
② with the Internet, we can acquire a lot of information quickly

advertising can tell a lot about a country - agree
① is colored by the national character
② helps know special local products

modern technology creates a single world culture - agree
① industrialization causes uniformalization of products
② the Internet helps share and exchange information with all countries

access to so much information creates problems - agree
① lead to leaking private information
② some kinds of fraud on the Internet - troubles in shopping online/Internet auction

where - tourist visit in Japan - Tokyo
① is the cutting-edge of various kinds of trends or technology - fashion, food, car-design, amusement park
② has many traditional cultures
- the temple of Asakusa, the traditional performing arts of Kabuki and Noh are still popular in Tokyo

in the past - when and where would you like to go - go back in high school days
① work my club activity harder than ever to take first place at the high school baseball championship
② study harder and want to go to a foreign university

what discovery in the last 100 years - most benefical - discovery of the world network called the Internet
① helps us communicate with everyone in all countries
② can acquire a lot of information more quickly through the Internet than ever

telephone and email - less personal -disagree
① thanks to telephone, we can talk to someone in a distance
② email we can show what we feel but cannot say out loud

who - you meet a historical person - Leonardo da Vinci, who was a universal genius
① I want to learn science and technology from him
② I would like to let him draw my own portrait - want to view it at the museum

who - you meet a famous entertainer or athlete - Hidetoshi Nakata
① I would like to have a party with him or his famous friends, such as David Beckham, Luis Figo or Ronaldo, who are the most famous soccer players
② I want to learn how to survive as a successful business person from him, who owns his company and is on the board of directors of other companies

Speakingセクション攻略のコツ - 平均素点3点取りゃ万々歳

久々にTOEFL攻略に関して、今回はSpeakingに焦点を絞ってシンプルに書きたいと思います。 Speakingセクションを攻略するに当たって、特に日本生まれ日本育ちの方は、まずSpeakingセクションで満点を取ろうなんて考えは捨てて、「ちょっとぐらい間違っても強気で喋り続ければ良いや」という気持ちでシンプルに問題に取り組まれることを推奨します。

Speakingセクション全6問、各4点満点で3点を取ることができればセクションスコアは23点となり、Reading・Listeningであとは点を稼げばかなり高いトータルスコアを叩き出すことができます。つまり全セクションで素点1点分間違ったとしても23点を獲得できるわけであり、セクションスコアで17点(平均素点2.16点)以上ある方は、少なくとも1 つのセクションで素点3点をゲットしているので、23点を獲得するだけの素地は持ち合わせており、そこへの道のりがはっきり見え出すのではないでしょうか。とはいえ、最初にも言いました通り、Simple is the Best.です。

参考までに、僕はSpeakingセクションでネタ作りを行いやすい4項目というものを作っていたのですが、この4つを基準にすると、メリット・デメリットを整理しやすく具体的事例を作り上げていくのに便利です。

1. お金
2. 健康
3. 時間
4. 人との関係


当たり前といえば当たり前の4項目ですが、例えば、「インドアとアウトドアどちらが好きですか?」などといった問題が出た際、「インドアが好き」を軸に答える場合は1・3(お金をかけずにゲームやDVDを楽しむことができる・目的地まで行く時間がもったいないなど)、「アウトドアが好き」を軸に答える場合は2・4(外で運動することは健康に良い・様々なスポーツや会話を通じて友達と深いコミュニケーションを取ることができるなど)をチョイスして、理由説明・具体的事例考察を行うことができます。この4項目はWritingセクションにも通じるものがあるので、ぜひ頭に入れておいて損はしないと思います。


最後にTipsとして、Writingはもちろん、Speakingセクションでの高得点獲得にはアウトプットが命なので、
1. TOEFL以外で喋る場を作る - バーに行って話してみたり、Daily CallRare Jobを通じて外国人の方とお話してみたり。最終手段は音読でも良いと思いますが、何らかの形で第三者による評価を受けた方が Betterです。ちなみに発音に関しては、"英語発音・聴き取りの基礎(信州大学)"で、各母音・子音の発音からリエゾン・リダクションまで丁寧な説明が記載されています。
2. Recording - 1ヵ月間はSpeakingの問題練習を録音すべし
3. ネタ帳 - Speaking/Writing両方 … 最後に見返す心の拠り所になります笑
4. 日記 - 勉強前と勉強後の意識づけ、Writingのアウトプット
5. 試験レポート - 試験後の記憶・反省(問題内容・反省点)
の5点を心がけてはどうでしょうか。特に短期間でスコアをぐいっと上げたい方に関してはMustの5項目だと言えるでしょう。

TOEFL iBT 4セクション徹底解説【Listening】

TOEFL iBT本試験の2番目ののセクションはListeningです。試験問題としては、日常会話と大学での講義の2つが出題されます。日常会話(約 500~800語)は主に大学のキャンパス内での会話で、大学での講義(約12~25回のやり取り)では、教授が1人で説明したり生徒たちが質問・回答するなどしてディスカッションしたりするパターンがあります。本セクションもReading同様、特定領域の学術専攻や専門知識の有無がスコアに影響を及ぼさないように作られています。


Listeningセクションの概要としては、
・配点:0~30点
・時間:会話問題1題+講義問題2題(計10分)→会話問題1題+講義問題2題(計10分)
・聞き取り時間:会話問題約 3~5分・講義問題約4~7分
・問題数:各会話5問・各講義6問(全問選択式)
です。またReading・Listeningいずれかのセクションでダミー問題を解く必要がありますので、Listeningセクションでダミー問題が出る際は、(会話1題+講義2題)×2セットの通常パッケージに加えてもう1セット(会話1題+講義2題)が出題されます。しかし2セット目・3セット目どちらがダミーかは分かりません。


TOEFL iBTとなって試験中のメモ取り(試験後に要返却)が認可されるようになったため、特にListeningセクションではこのメモ取りを活かして内容理解を促進させる必要があります。また話し手の英語が教育目的の堅い英語ではなく、日常会話や大学講義で普通に用いられる自然な英語となったため、フレーズの短縮・省略、リエゾン(単語同士の発音がつながること)などが頻繁に見られます。正確に音を聞き取り、会話・講義の内容だけでなく、話し手のスタンス・気持ちまで理解し、各問題を対処しなければなりません。

また、会話・講義形式共に音声が流れる間、コンピュータ画面上に話し手の画像が映し出されるので話し手同士の関係性・立場・場所などが大体分かります。会話形式の問題ではキャンパス内での学生同士、学生と大学職員、学生と教授・助手などが登場人物となり、キャンパス内でのトラブル・質問・アドバイスなどに関する会話が主です。また講義形式の問題では、歴史、文学、心理学、生物学、天文学など様々な学術的トピックで講義が進みますが、専門用語や難単語、キーフレーズが登場した際はコンピュータ画面上に表示されます。教授がただ喋るだけの一方通行型講義、教授・生徒間のディスカッションの加わった双方向型講義などが出題されます。

設問の出題形式はほぼ決まっており、以下の6パターンが主たる出題形式です。


(1)会話の要旨を述べよ
【問題文例】
What is the subject/topic/main idea/purpose of the passage?
Why ... in the passage?


(2)会話内容の詳細を述べよ
【問題文例】
What is stated/indicated in the passage?
According to the speaker, ... ? / What does the lecturer say ... ?


(3)話し手の意図/目的を答えよ
【問題文例】
Listen again to part of the passage.
Why does the speaker say this? / What does the speaker mean?


(4)話し手の立場/思いを答えよ
【問題文例】
Listen again to part of the passage,
Which sentence best expresses what the speaker seems to feel ... ?
How does the speaker seem to feel ... ?


(5)会話構成/展開をまとめよ
【問題文例】
How is the information in the discussion organized?
Summarize the process by putting the steps in the correct order.


(6)会話内容から関係性を推測せよ
【問題文例】
What is most likely/implied ... ? / What can be inferred ... ?


【解法】
Listeningに関しては、「しっかり聞いて論理展開をきっちり把握する」というのが全ての問題攻略に通じる鍵です。ピンポイントで正解の選択肢を選ぶのも良し、聞き取り内容と異なる選択肢を見つけて消去法を行うも良し、限られた時間の中できっちり論理的に解答することが唯一無二のポイントです。

ETS公式版TOEFL iBT対策ツール

TOEFL iBT受験者向けにETSはオフィシャルサイトで有料/無料でダウンロード可能な対策ツールを提供してくれています。TOEFL iBT本試験を制作・実施するETSが用意しているので、問題の傾向と対策を練るには打ってつけです。

TOEFL iBT Sample Questions
TOEFL iBT本試験対応型の各セクションのサンプル問題をコンピュータ形式で提供してくれています。ただし回答が無いのが非常に難点。。。

TOEFL iBT Test Tips(PDF:72ページ)
TOEFL iBTの試験構成やスコア計算法、そして各セクションを攻略するに当たっての一般的解法アプローチ・必要なアカデミックスキルを説明してくれます。

TOEFL Practice Online
TOEFL iBT本試験と全く同様の問題量・制限時間で模擬試験を受けることが出来ます。1回当たり$44.95必要ですが、下手な参考書を使ったり予備校に通ったりするより、この模擬試験を数回解くと本試験の流れを実体験として把握できますし、専用のアルゴリズムを用いて各セクション毎に採点してくれるので(Speaking・Writingも!)、非常にお買い得だと思います。しかも問題の中身の異なる試験セットを続々と販売しているので、問題内容が常に同じのフリーのSample Questionsとは一線を画し、数をこなして本試験慣れしたい方にオススメです。

Improve Your Skills
各セクションでどの程度のスコアを獲得したいか選択し、いかにして点を伸ばせばよいかが分かります。PDF版で同様の一覧を確認することが出来ます(TOEFL iBT Performance Feedback for Test Takers(PDF:16ページ))。

TOEFL iBT Speaking Section Scoring Guide(PDF:2ページ)
Speakingセクションにおいて、発音や言葉の選び方、トピック構築など、どのようにすれば目標スコアに届くかをマトリックス形式で説明してくれています。同様にWriting セクション線世のマトリックスも用意されています(TOEFL iBT Writing Section Scoring Guide(PDF:2ページ))。

TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses(PDF:14ページ)
Writingセクション2問分の回答サンプルです。それぞれの獲得予想スコアに見合った回答を掲載しており、テンプレートを作って実際に問題を解く上で非常に参考になります。

TOEFL iBTスコア関連情報を徹底調査

【TOEFL iBTスコア基本情報】

TOEFL iBTはReading・Listening・Speaking・Writingの4セクションが各30点で計120点満点です。スコアレポートに基づく各セクションにおけるスコアレベルのレンジは下記の通りです。




ReadingListening
レベルHighIntermediateLowHighIntermediateLow
スコアレンジ30-2221-1514-030-2221-1413-0






Speaking
レベルGoodFairLimitedWeak
1 問当たり平均素点4.0-3.53.0-2.5< /td>2.0-1.51.0-0
スコアレンジ30-2625-1817-109-0






Writing
レベルGoodFairLimitedScore of Zero
1問当たり平均素点5.0-4.03.5-2.52.0-1.00
スコアレンジ30-2423-1716-10


Speaking という異質のセクションがあるのであくまで目安ですが、iBT/CBT/PBTの得点換算表は下記の通りです。




iBT12011010090807060504030200
CBT30027025023321319317014312093630
PBT677637600577550523497463433397350310

ちなみにStanford Universityの大学院留学で求められるTOEFLの最低点は、
・博士課程(全分野):iBT100点(PBT600点/CBT250点)
・修士課程(人文科学・社会科学・教育):iBT100点(PBT600点/CBT250点)
・修士課程(工学系):iBT89点(PBT575点/CBT230点)
となっています(Minimum TOEFL Requirements@Stanford)。

受験者には全4セクションの Official Score Reportが郵送されます。TOEFLスコアの有効期限は2年間です。出願時に2年を超えているスコアは正式なものとしては受け入れられないので、再受験する必要があります。受験1回目のスコアが芳しくない(と思われる)としても、提出締切日を鑑みて余裕を持ったスケジューリングを行った上で、複数回受験することをお勧めします(私は8回受験しました…かなり予算的に痛かったですけれども)。書籍やテキストといった紙上の問題を解くのと、PCの画面で問題を解くのとでは大違いです。フォントや文字サイズの違い、スクロールの有無といった違いがたくさんあり、特にReadingの長文読解時や Writing時(試験時のキーボードが若干一般的なものと異なる)に“違和感”を強く感じるはずです。

大学院側にはベストスコアだけ送付すれば良いので、初期の低得点にこだわることなく、しっかり準備・練習を行って何回も受験すべきでしょう。


【スコアの確認】

TOEFL iBTを受験してどのくらいで得点結果が分かるのでしょうか。PBTのスコアレポートが受験者の元に届くのが試験当日から約50日程度要するのに対し、 iBTに関して言うと、米国ETSで採点が終了するのが試験当日から15日以内で、つまり約2週間でMy Home Pageを通じて自身のスコアを確認することができます。受験者控え用のスコアレポートが日本に送られてくるのは、試験当日から約1ヵ月後が目安となります。





【スコアレポート】

TOEFL iBTには、"Examinee Score Report"と"Official Score Report"の2種類のスコアレポートがあります。どちらも同じ点数が記載されますが、用途が異なります。

Examinee Score Report(受験者用控えスコアレポート)…受験後に米国ETSより受験者宛に1通のみ送付され、原則再発行はありません。各セクション毎の受験者の獲得点数はもちろん、「スコアの持つ意味」の解説 (Performance Descriptor)も示されます。あくまで受験者の確認用なので、多くの場合公式なスコア証明書としては認められませんが、本スコアレポートをコピーした上で提出させる機会は無きにしも非ずですので、忘れずに保管しておきましょう。
※TOEFL iBT申込時にスコアの確認方法を「Web(My Home Page)での確認のみ」とした場合は送付されません。

Official Score Report(公式スコアレポート)…受験者の希望で米国ETSから直接志望団体/機関に送付され、受験者には送付されません。これは公式な目的でスコアレポートを提出させる際に改竄できないよう配慮されているためです。志望団体/機関がTOEFLテストスコアの提出を要求している場合は通常このスコアレポートを指しています。

TOEFL iBTがPBT/CBTと異なる5つのポイント

2006年9月30日にCBTが完全に廃止され、同年7月15日から開始されたTOEFL iBT。この新試験形態の押さえ所とは何でしょうか。PBT及びCBTとの違いを明らかにしながら最新試験状況を考察していきます。

【1】Speaking セクションが導入され、Reading・Listening・Speaking・Writingの4セクションで本試験が構成される

何といってもこれです。Speakingセクションの登場。日常的な英会話文化の無い日本人にとっては致命的になりかねない変更点です。Speakingセクションは、Speaking about Familiar Topics(一般的話題について話す)・Speaking about Campus Situations(キャンパス内の状況について話す)・Speaking about Acadmic Course Content(学問・教養的な内容について話す)の3つ(各2問ずつ計6問)に大きく分けられます。Speaking about Familiar Topicsの2問はIndependent Task(単純な質疑応答:『聞く→話す』)で、Speaking about Campus Situations・Speaking about Academic Course Contentの4問はIntegrated Task(文章や会話の総合的な理解力を伴う問題:『読む→聞く→話す』)となっています。そして各セクション30点ずつで、30点×4セクション=120点が満点です。

TOEFL本番で差がつく"英語耳"養成テクニック - TOEFL iBTの50%以上はリスニング

端的にズバッと言うと「TOEFL iBTはリスニングができなければ話にならない」ということです。本試験の問題構成・得点配分を分析すると、L:30 点+S:30点×6問中4問+W:30点×2問中1問=計65点分が、Listeningスキルが無いと獲得することのできない点数なのです。何と120 点満点中の50%を越える割合でリスニング力が要求されているわけです。

自分自身リスニング能力が高くなかったのでこれにはかなり参りました(出発点はListeningセクション11点でした)。かといって即効性のある荒療治はこの世に無いので地道に英語を聴き続ける他ありません。ですが、Speakingとは異なり、この「聴き方」を改善していわゆるTOEFL iBTの"英語耳"を身につけるのは自分一人で全然できます。英会話教室に行こうが留学予備校でレッスンを受けようが、結局自分自身の姿勢・思考フレームワークが変わらなければ、高いお金を払って講座を受講する意味はありません。断言できます。自分自身が予備校に通った経験があるので強く言えますが、ことリスニングに関しては問題演習/見直しの繰り返しがスコアアップの近道だったりするので、問題集にスクリプトが付いてないわけじゃあるまいし、自分が思うには一人でトレーニングするのが最も効果的だったなぁと振り返ることができます。


他の海外諸国の受験生と比べて英語に触れる機会が少なく耳が英語に慣れていない我々日本人は、日本人なりの地道な努力の積み重ねでそれをカバーするしかありません。自分なりに確立したトレーニングスタイルとしては、

  納得いくまで聞く(3~5回ぐらい)
  →英訳見て自分だけで音読
  →→英訳を見て話者のスピード/話し方に合わせて話す(シャドーイング)
  →→→英訳を見ずに話者のスピード/話し方に合わせて話す

というものです。お察しの通り、やはり必然的に問題1問あたりにかける時間は多くなりますが、これを粘り強く各問題で続けることでかなりの効果が表れます。聞き流しで上達する英語力はせいぜい大学受験レベルまで、いくらiPodでTOEFLリスニング対策レッスンや英語ニュースを聞いても集中して聞かない限りほぼ本試験で効果は発揮できないもので、意識して頭の中で文章をタイピングするかのごとく集中して聴き続ける必要があります。そして、口に出すことで脳内記憶に深くイメージを刻むことができるので、この発音/音読のフェーズはかなり大事で、さらに自分で話者と同ペースで発音できるように練習することで"英語脳"の回転が速くなり、英語での情報認識・文脈把握力がかなり高まります。

前述の通り1問あたりにかける時間が自ずと長くなるため、カバーできる問題集は1~2冊程度が限界でしょう。しかしそれで十分です。むやみに新しい問題集を何冊も取り寄せてさささっと問題演習・解答チェックを行うよりも、TOEFL iBT Listeningセクションの出題傾向に即した問題集1冊を繰り返し繰り返し地道に極める方が実はよっぽど効率的に"英語耳"を養うことができるのです。ちなみにListeningセクションの自分の最終スコアは、最初に取ったスコアの約2.5倍!急がば回れとは正にこのことで、足元を着実に固めていくことで自然と目的地には辿り着けるんだ、ということを自分はこのListeningセクションで学びました。

TOEFL iBT対策参考書を経験者談で振り返る【総合編】

TOEFL iBT対策を行うにあたってやはり気になるのが参考書ですよね。本屋に並べられているTOEFL iBT参考書の数々。知らぬ間にタイトルや説明書きに踊らされ、派手な色使いの参考書を手にとってレジに持っていった経験はありませんか?万が一でもそんなことが無いように、これから自分が使った参考書を比較しながら評価してみたいと思います。


Official Guide to the New Toefl iBT With Cd-rom (Official Guide to the New Toefl iBT)
★★★★★(星5つ)
これが無いとTOEFL iBT対策始めてはいけないと言っても過言ではない1冊。これを持っていなければTOEFL門外漢です。ETSのオフィシャルガイドですから、TOEFL iBTの全容を概観してくれるだけでなく、実試験の問題形式に添った形でReading・Listening・Speaking・Writing全4セクションの練習問題及び解説を提供してくれます。Readingは時間制限通り何回も解き、Listeningは問題文をディクテーションできるレベルまで復唱し、Speaking・Writingは正解例からテンプレートに出来そうな各要素を抜き出すなど、背表紙がクタクタになるまでこのオフィシャルガイドは使い倒すべきです。オフィシャルガイドに書かれた文字はETSの意思だと思って、まさにほぼ全てが本試験レベルの問題ですので、しっかり活用しましょう。専用のソフトウェアを搭載したCD-ROMも付属しており、全4セクションを時間制限ある中回答することができ、試験感覚を疑似体験することが出来ます。




Barrons How to Prepare for the TOEFL iBT 2008: Test of English As a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (Barron's How to Prepare for the Toefl Test of English As a Foreign Language)
★★★☆☆(星3つ)
まず何と言っても分厚い!…全部やれずじまいでヤフオクで売ってしまいました。テキストのみ・テキスト+CD・テキスト+音声CDの3バージョンが存在するらしいですが(Listening・Speaking・Writingが求められるのにCD無しバージョンなんておかしな話です)、自分は付属CDが含まれていたバージョンで、CDの数も10枚以上あったので初っ端の段階で気持ちが折れました笑 いずれにしろ問題量が多すぎて手に負えませんし、解説も秀逸!とは賞賛しがたいものでした。問題演習を重ねて地力を上げる方には好ましいかもしれませんが、3ヵ月~半年の短期集中でTOEFL iBTを攻略する上では、若干重荷になってしまうと思い、星は3つにしました。




NorthStar: Building Skills for the TOEFL(R) iBT, Intermediate Student Book with Audio CDs [Large Print]
★★★★☆(星4つ)
中々受験生に知られていないのがこのNorth Star。これはETSとの共同開発で作成されたTOEFL iBT対策テキストなので、本試験の出題傾向がほぼそのまま反映される形で練習問題が作成されています。自分はReading・Listeningに関してこのテキストを利用したのですが、丁度良いレベルの問題が揃っており非常に重宝しました。問題演習をもっとしたいと思った時はこの本を注文するのがベターかと思います。




TOEFL テスト完全攻略模試3回分―iBT対応 (iBT対応 TOEFLテスト完全攻略シリーズ)
★★☆☆☆(星2つ)
TOEFL iBT本試験の問題構成に添った形で3回分の模試が含まれており、問題レベルも中々タフですが、解説が弱いです。そもそも書籍上の模試とPCと相対して受ける本試験とではやはり勝手が違いますし、強い心を持って制限時間を厳守する心構えが無ければ本末転倒です。このような書籍形式の模試は問題演習の一環と思って気軽に解いてみるのが良いと思います。




TOEFL テスト英単語3800 (TOEFL iBT大戦略シリーズ)
★★★★★(星5つ)
これは非常に良く出来た単語帳で、TOEFL iBT獲得スコアに沿ってレベル別の単語3800語をセレクトしており、このどれもが本試験で見たことあるようなものばかり。難語の壁に当たるなぁと頻繁に感じる方は、こちらの本を手にとって見てみると良いと思います。Rank1からRank4まであるのですが、Rank1は簡単なので省略、Rank2内の難易度の高い単語(88単語)Rank3の難易度の高い単語(477単語)Rank4の単語Part.1(489単語)単語Part.2(407単語)をいつも利用しているsmart.fmに登録して単語暗記の練習を行っていました。もしよろしければ皆様お使い下さい。

GRE徹底攻略 - GREをオロソカにせず心底良かった

"大学院留学ではGREを重視しない"などという根拠の無い説が一般論のように出回っていますが、正直な気持ちを言うと「アホか」です。おそらくGPAの高い方や著名な研究成果を挙げた方が低GREスコアでも有名校に入ったという話をどこかから仕入れた方が、さも自分の経験談のように話しているんでしょうね。…もう言語道断です。GREは高得点を取るべきであり、自分としてもStanford合格はGREの高得点と充実したエッセイが鍵になったとはっきり言い切れます。だってGPAすこぶる悪いんですもん。そりゃ大学の成績が呆れる程に良かったり、特定分野をリードするような研究をしていたりしたら、もう言うまでもないですよ。ですが『持たざる者』にそんなことはできません。今この瞬間から出来ることは、TOEFLと GREとエッセイしかありません。現状の限られた3つの武器しか持っていない中でその1つを捨てるなんて馬鹿げたことは無いですよね。モッタイナイんです。

自分のGREスコアはVerbal:550点・Quantitative:790点でした。他の受験生がGREに手をつけずやっつけで試験を受けたりするのを横目で見ながら、地道に英単語を覚え続け、このスコアまでやーーっと辿り着きました。初受験のVerbal:340点からの大躍進です!600点とか650点とか多分頑張ったら取れるんでしょうけど、全く日常生活に使わないであろう英単語の暗記だけを今からストイックに頑張る気力はもうおそらく残ってません笑 tintinnabulationって何ですか笑 Stanford合格後、一昨年の卒業生に「GREは今の基礎学力と根気強さ、GPAは過去の基礎学力の蓄積を見るテストだ」と正に思っていたことをバシッと言われて溜飲の下がる思いをしたものです。


GREは正式名をGraduate Record Examinationsと言い、大多数の北米大学院プログラムの入学審査に用いられている共通試験です。入学審査委員会や奨学金支給審査委員会等が学部時代の成績やその他審査必要項目を補完するために利用し、大学院受験者の能力を比較したり推薦状や成績を評価する助けになったりする共通測定値として扱われます。そしてこのGREは大学卒の英語を話すネイティブ向けに作られたテストであり、元来全体的に難しく作られています。

General Testは3セクションから構成され、Analytical Writing (ライティング:以下 Writing)、Verbal Reasoning (英語:以下 Verbal)、Quantitative Reasoning (数学:以下 Quantitative) があり、特定分野に依存しない言語的・数学的論理的思考、分析的ライティング、批判的思考法のスキルを測ります。

一般知識を試験する General Testと専門知識を調べるSubject Testがあり、数学や物理といった科学系専攻志望者以外はGeneral Testのみスコアを要求されます。しかしながらTOEFLと異なって受験回数が1ヵ月に1回、1年に5回までと回数制限があるので注意が必要となります。基本情報はこちらのGRE受験要綱(PDF:2008-09)をご覧下さい。

コンピュータベース(Computer-Based)のGeneral TestはVerbal 、Quantitative、Writingの3セクションで構成されます。テスト形式としては受験者全員が同じ問題に答えていたペーパーベース(Paper-Based)のGeneral Testから、コンピュータベースのCAT(Computer-Adaptive Test)に1998年9月から移行しました。Verbal、Quantitativeに加え、分析能力を測定するAnalyticalセクション(全問選択式の論理パズル的問題)がありましたが、2002年10月から廃止され、エッセイライティングセクションのAnalytical Writingが導入されました。

また試験的に行われるExperimentalセクションがあり、Verbalまたは Quantitativeのいずれかが出題されます。Verbal→Quantitative→Verbalか、 Quantitative→Verbal→Quantitativeの順で、QuantitativeかVerbalのいずれかが行われます。実際のスコアには反映されませんが、今後のGRE問題作成の参考としてETSに送信されます(このExperimentalセクションの得点は表示されません)。 Unscored Section・Research Section共に解答してもしなくても正式スコアに影響することはありません。







Analytical Writing1 Issue Task45分
Analytical Writing1 Argument Task30分
Verbal Reasoning30問30分
Quantitative Reasoning28問45分
Unscored Section------
Research Section------


CAT 形式は、受験者の出来具合に合わせて問題を決定する出題形式を採用しているため、出題された問題に解答しないと次の問題に進めず、問題のスキップや戻ることはできません。各問題は1つのテスト問題セット(Question Pool)から選ばれており、受験者ごとにその問題セットは異なります。

受験者の回答によって出題される問題のレベルが変化していきますが、最初は平均レベルの問題が出題されます。そしてその問題に答えられると難易度の高い問題が次に出て、答えられなければ難易度が低い問題が出ます。そして、難易度が高ければ配点は高くなりますが、逆に言えば難易度の高い問題を解かない限りは高得点の獲得は難しく、難易度の低い問題を何問解いても高得点にはつながりません。つまり、これがCAT形式のGREの特徴ですが、前半の問題がスコア全体に与える影響は非常に大きく、特に最初の第1問目が鍵と言っても過言ではありません。また、後半はある程度前半で形作られたスコアレンジの中で調整を行うものと考えておいてよいでしょう。しかし未解答部分に関しては大きなペナルティーとして減点されるため、Verbal 30分 / Quantitative 45分の制限時間内で必ず全問解くための時間配分が不可欠です。

これから、このGRE(特にVerbal)でいかに高得点を取るかといった留学を目指す方が必要とするような情報を具体的に書いていきたいと思います◎