TASK 1 Independent Speaking, Personal Preference
Choose an accomplishment that required you to work very hard. Explain what the accomplishment was and why it was important to you.
TASK 2 Independent Speaking, Paired Choice
Some people prefer living in a big city. Other people prefer living in the countryside, away from urban areas. Which do you think is better? Explain why, using specific details in your explanation.
TASK 3 Integrated Reading/Listening/Speaking
No More Evening Classes?
The administration has announced that starting next fall, the university will stop offering evening classes in many departments. According to a university administrator, the decision was prompted by a steady decline in enrollments in evening classes. "Evening classes are just too small," the administrator said. When asked to explain the decline in enrollments, the administrator pointed to the fact that most evening classes are taught by teaching assistants, who are usually graduate students. “Surveys show that students prefer to take classes taught by experienced faculty members,” the spokesperson said, "probably because they simply know more than graduate teaching assistants do."
The man disagrees with the decision announced in the student newspaper. Explain why the university made the decision and why the man disagrees with it.
TASK 4 Integrated Reading/Listening/Speaking
Habituation
Habituation is a form of learning that is quite common among animals. When an animal experiences a situation for the first time, particularly one it considers threatening, it may instinctively respond by running away or by warning other members of its community with alarm calls. Normally, it responds this way each time the situation occurs. However, if through continuous and prolonged exposure the animal learns that the situation is harmless, the behavior gradually diminishes. Ultimately, it will stop responding to the situation altogether. Thus, through habituation a natural or instinctive behavior gradually changes.
Explain how the example of the prairie dog illustrates the concept of habituation.
TASK 5 Integrated Listening/Speaking
