GEPT—High-Intermediate LevelSpeaking Test Preparation

  GEPT Study Group

Hi, study pals, the Reading-and-Listening Test is over. How was it? Have you thought over where you need improvements? Whether you will pass or not, stay with us and let’s do more practice of the Speaking-and-Writing Test. Here’s something for fun (only) first.

Outline High-Intermediate Speaking –general

introduction General Suggestions The Official Mock Test What the group and the tutors can do … How to make practice by yourselves or with a

partner?

GEPT 中高級複試—題型以及時間限制　 複試

測驗項目 寫作能力測驗 口說能力測驗

總題數 2 題 10題

總作答時間 50分鐘 約 20分鐘

測驗內容中譯英

引導寫作

回答問題看圖敘述申述

總測驗時間（含試前、試後說

明）

約需 1小時 約需 1小時

Intermediate 中級Part I: 閱讀短文Part II: 回答問題Part III: 看圖敘述

Grading criteria  

考試標準與注意重點級分 標準：答題適切、發音流利度、字彙語法、組織能力—溝通有效度5 Task -- answer adequate and to the point, organized,

articulation – fluent, pronunciation clear, language usage -good command of vocabulary, usage correct (though with occasional errors) Communication–efficient communication

4 answer mostly adequate and to the point, pronunciation generally ok; vocabulary and usage good enough for communication,capable of responding to general questions; occasional errors does not affect communication

3 Can respond to familiar topics, not very fluent, with basic concept of grammar and command of vocabulary, occasional errors in pronunciation; the errors can affect communication;

2 can only respond to simple topics; many errors in pronunciation and intonation; serious lack in grammatical concepts and vocabulary; limited abilities in communication

0 no answer

一般注意事項 Timing: Watch your time carefully. Answer the

questions completely and finish your answers. This is what we can practice together. (download a timer here; 用滑鼠右鍵選擇 Always on top.)Part Things to note

Part I-1 1. pay attention to the question types (what, why, how, yes/no question) and the tense used in them.

2. Don’t give too complicated answers; 2-3 sentences is enough.

3. Don’t just say—”No, I don’t.”

Part I-II 1. Question types—situation, opinion expression2. About 5-8 sentences—you need to watch time,

though, as sometimes you may pause and think a bit.

Part II 1. time for thinking—0.5 mins – find the answers to the first 3 questions, and an idea for describing the details on the pictures)

2. Use present tense unless you want to tell a story.

一般注意事項Part III 1. (time for thinking—1.5 mins—find a

main point and a few sentences for elaboration.)

2. Remember to not deal with too complicated or controversial issues which you cannot explain well in 1.5 mins. Talk about what you know and have experienced. In this oral test you are expected to

-- respond to questions promptly about yourself, or in certain situations;

-- describe an image and respond to questions related to it;

-- discuss current issues, some of which may be topics (e.g. internet shopping, environmental protection, the aging of population, etc.) for a book.

Don’t be nervous!!! Remember this is a test of your English communication abilities, but not knowledge. Talk about what you can manage within the time limit.

Constant Practice will help you improve your communication. skills.

GEPT—High-Intermediate LevelSpeaking Test –instruction for Part I and Q’s 1 and 2.

  Form Code: HS 

Self-introduction: My registration number is (准考證號碼 ) , and my seat number is

( 座位號碼 ) .  Part I Answering Questions For questions 1 to 5, you will have 15 seconds to

answer each question.For questions 6 to 10, you will have 30 seconds to

answer each question.Questions 1 – 2

Answers to Q 1 and 21. How often do you wash your clothes and how do

you wash them? A: I usually wash my clothes once a week, and I hand-

wash them.Alternative answer: I don’t do my own laundry.

Usually my mom does it, and she does it twice a week with the washing machine.

2. When was the last time your family went out together. What did you do?

A: The last time my family went out together was last Sunday. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

Alternative answer: It was three years ago and before I came to Taipei. My family went to see a movie together, and we all enjoyed it very much.

More tips for Part I-I Question type 1: about your own experience;

when, what and how-- Usually there are two short questions in this part.

Don’t get into too complicated issues; for instance, the fact that you don’t have a family or don’t speak to your family for a long time.

questions 3 to 5, each 15 seconds About 2-3 sentences if you speak fast.

Answers to Q 3 and 4 3. How many pairs of shoes did you buy last year?

Where did you buy them? A. I bought about three pairs of shoes last year. I

bought them in department stores.Alternative answer: I didn’t buy any shoes last year,

because I thought I had enough. Now I feel like buying one. If I do so, I’ll go to a department store.

4. Would you like to own, or do you own, an answering machine? How is it useful?

A/ Yes, I do own an answering machine. It's very useful because when I'm out, people can leave a message and I know that people have called.

Alternative answer: I don’t have an answering machine. Nowadays, telephones usually don’t come with an answering machine. But that’s fine, because my cell phone takes messages.

Answers to Q 5 and some more tips 5. If someone invites you to a restaurant, but you

don’t like to go. How can you politely refuse? A: I’d really love to, but I have an important

appointment to go to.Alternative answer: Oh, bad timing. I have to go to

my dentist. I’m sorry; I’d really love to go with you.

Tips: Question type 2: about your opinion; Question type 3: about a proper response in some

situations (e.g. invitation; request) to give a polite refusal— I'd like to, but I can't make it”. How to make a polite request: I’m wondering if…

http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/~eng/con&com_databank/Nash/page5.htm

Qs 6 and 10 Explanation & Qs 6-7:

Qs 8 and 10

Answers to Q’s 6-7 6. Do you watch your weight? What could a person do to

lose weight? Yes, I watch my weight. I think the best way to lose weight

is to exercise regularly and to eat less. Exercise and a balanced diet are the keys to good health.

7. Explain why some people in Taiwan call wedding invitations red bombs, or “紅色炸彈 .”

Why are wedding invitations called red bombs? Well, the color red in Chinese culture is associated with happiness. It’s good news when people get married. When friends or relatives receive wedding invitations, no matter whether they will go or not, it is considered polite to give presents, usually money, to the people who are about to marry. Because wedding invitations might arrive in your mailbox at any time, people call them red bombs.

(note– It is considered a bomb because sending money may be a burden on some people, especially when there are a lot of red bombs.)

Answers to Q’s 8-9 8. You hear that a school near your home is offering

some English courses at night. Call the school, and ask a few questions.

A. I’ve heard that English courses in the evening are provided at your school. When do the courses begin? At what times do classes meet? What levels of courses are available? What textbooks are the students using and how much do the courses cost?

9. What do you think is an ideal job? Please explain.A. To me, an ideal job means opportunities for

personal growth and achievement. It must also be something I’m interested in. Of course the job must pay well too since an employee who works hard deserves a good salary.

Answers to Q 10 10. Should movies be rated? Please explain.I think movies should be rated because it gives

parents an idea of the content of the movie and whether or not they would want their children to watch the movie. Parents don't have time to see all the movies before their children see them, so it gives general guidelines by which an adult can decide whether or not their child can see the movie.

Part II explanation                                   (解釋含思考 30 sec)

Look at the picture, think about the questions below for 30 seconds, and then record your answers for 1½ minutes.

( 含答題時間 1.5 mins)1. What is the woman doing?2. Why is she doing this?3. Do you do this? Why or why

not?4. If you still have time, please

describe the picture in as much detail as you can.

Answers to Part II (1)The woman is throwing a plastic bottle into a

public trashcan. In her right hand, she is holding a cola can. She might throw it into the trashcan as well. (2) She is doing this because when trash is recycled, the materials taken out during recycling can be used to make other useful products. Recycling can also reduce the amount of garbage we throw out and at the same time keep the environment from being overloaded with trash.

(3) I also recycle garbage because I want a clean and safe environment too.

(4) Behind the woman there is a bike. Maybe it belongs to the woman. There are more bikes in the background, and it is very likely that the picture was taken on a campus or in a park.…

More Tips to Part II 直接回答問題；有剩下時間在描述。 If you don’t know what to say, try to think of

your experience of the place or event. For instance, if you don’t know detailed reasons for recycling, mention the general idea (to recycle is to turn garbage into useful things) and then talk more about how you do it and where.

In a 1.5 min answer, usually some parts can be short answers, while you provide your opinions on one issue (e.g. recycling, internet) and you should give about 2-4 related ideas/examples. In other word, in expressing an opinion, don’t just give a short one-sentence answer. Try to elaborate on your idea a bit.

Part III Discussion

Read the questions, think about your answers to the questions for 1½ minutes, and then record your answers for 1½ minutes. Explanation          ( 解釋含思考 1.5 分 )

  ( 答題， 1.5 分） The Internet has become very popular these

days. (Q 1) Do you use it? (Q 2-3) What can we do with the Internet and what problems might it cause? Please explain.

Answer to Part III Discussion

(Q 1) I use the Internet every day. (Q 2—4 examples) With the Internet, I can access the information I want instantly. I can find out what’s happening around the world in just a few minutes. I can also contact friends through e-mail on the Internet, and they can get back to me within, again, just a few minutes. With the Internet, the distance between people is less than it used to be. (Q 3—3 examples) But there are some problems as well. People sometimes post violent or pornographic pictures on the Internet. Young children, who like to browse the Internet, are very likely to see them. In addition, gangsters can use the Internet to buy and sell arms and drugs without getting caught. These are problems we really don’t want to see because the society is forced to put a lot of effort into dealing with them.

More Tips to Part III Discussion Mark the questions, and don’t miss any part of

them. Take notes when you consider your answer. Don’t go too long in each part; make sure that

you have enough time to cover each part.

What the group and the tutors can do … The group:

Speak-and-Respond: You can always practice responding to a question immediately within a time limit (15 seconds for 30 seconds). Then your group members (or partner) can suggest other ways of answering the questions. Together you can correct each other’s errors.

Think-and-Respond: In a group of 3, each gets a slip of paper with a Part II, or Part III, question, and then think for 30 second (Part II), or 1.5 mins (Part III). You then take turns answering the questions, while the other two take notes of the good (ideas), and the areas for improvement (errors).

The tutors In a 15-min session, the tutor gives

Two of part I-I, and I-II; (2-3 mins) One of Part II; (2 mins) One of Part III. (3 mins)

Then s/he will correct a few of your errors, and help you elaborate on the answers to Part II and Part III.

Areas for Improvement and Practice Pronunciation Correctness and Fluency

Some can be fixed within a short time, while some cannot (depending on your pronunciation habits). You have to determine if they can be fixed or not: e.g. “m” sound; easily confused sounds—long and short vowels ([i]), [e])

You need to practice your jaw muscle and tongue movement, so reading out loud regularly helps. You can read out loud an article, and then respond the issues expressed in the article.

Sufficient Language For Self-Expression –keeping expanding your vocabulary (with usage) by reading and thinking in English (see examples)

Responsiveness (Be attentive to what is asked) Grammatical Correctness [if you have time] memorize some expressions to use

in some situations. (Here’s one page for instance -- http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/con&com_databank/ec-conversation.htm ) However, there don’t seem to be too many questions for situation as far as I know.

Practice by yourselves (or with a partner)

1. Vary the test samples you are given. 2. Use some pictures and make questions

yourselves. 3. Read some essays/news articles, select

words to learn, and then make Q’s for yourselves.

See the attached Word file as an example.

For Fun --- 1. Ten Days in Manchester

(Needs realplayer; the video transmission can be slow, but you can read the text while waiting.)

This lesson is a bit like the lessons in LiveABC we have on campus, but it’s free. Come and learn!

This is good for business majors and preparing for TOEIC, too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/tendays/intro.shtml

2. Small Talk -- http://www.englishclub.com/speaking/small-talk.htm