TOEFL 001 - SPEAKING AND READING QUESTION - rate's comments for the response

 high-level response for Question 3. 

Narrator Now listen to two students discussing the article. 

Man I don't like the university's plan. 

Woman Really? I've ridden those buses, and sometimes there were only a few people on the bus. It did seem like kind of a waste. 

Man I see your point. But I think the problem is the route's out-of-date. It only goes through the neigh borhoods that've gotten too expensive for students to live in. It's ridiculous that they haven't already changed the route--you know, so it goes where most off-campus students live now. I bet if they did that, they'd get plenty of students riding those buses. 

Woman Well, at least they're adding more parking. It's gotten really tough to find a space. 

Man 

That's the other part I don't like, actually. Cutting back the bus service and adding parking's just gonna encourage more students to drive on campus. And that'll just add to the noise around campus and create more traffic ... and that'll increase the need for more parking spaces ... 

Woman 

Yeah, I guess I can see your point. Maybe it would be better if more students used the buses instead of driving. 

Man Right. And the university should make it easier to do that, not harder. 

Rater's Comments 

The speaker gives a clear and coherent response that is detailed and accurate. He speaks quickly, but this does not prevent him from being understood. He very clearly states the man's opinion and summarizes the man's reasons for having that opinion. He uses complex grammat ical structures and a wide variety of appropriate vocabulary. As a result, his speech seems to flow automatically. 

mid-level response for Question 3

Rater's Comments The speaker's first language moderately influences her pronunciation, intonation, and pacing. This creates some listener effort. She provides content that is relevant to the task, but her limi tations in language use hinder her ability to accurately convey relevant details. She fills the entire time with understandable speech. However, she incorrectly repeats throughout the response time that students cannot afford to ride the bus. She also says that few students will drive cars and overcrowd the parking lots. This creates confusion for the listener. The speaker never men tions the man's concern about increased noise and traffic on campus.