大家普遍认为托福口语任务4是托福口语6个任务中最难的一个，其一任务4事儿多，要做三步，即看、听、说；其二任务4生单词多，因为任务4学术场景是我们平时不太接触的话题，比如心理学、社会学、生物学、经济学等。俗话说知己知彼方能百战不殆，因此我们一定要了解任务4的题型。首先，我们要在45秒的时间内读完一篇75-100词的学术小短文，然后我们会听到一段60-90秒/150-220词的讲座，经过30秒的准备之后我们要把看到和听到的内容做一个简要的概括。

    以下我们将以托福真经口语2中的部分真题为例探讨一下任务4的做题技巧。我们要在45秒内读完这篇小短文，45秒过后文章消失后是不会再出现的，因此一定要做好笔记。笔记记什么？首先是题目及学术领域，不管标题中的单词认不认识先记下来；接下来要快速扫读文章找到refers to, referring to, means that, it is, it was, it takes place等类似的信号词，并记下信号词后的信息，即学术术语的名词解释，切记尽量不要照抄原文，因为我们只有45秒，我们还要关注名词解释后面的内容。虽然之后的内容在概括文章时用不到，但是它对我们了解术语，理解后面老师的讲座是很有帮助的。因此我们还要关注namely, that is to say, in another word之类的信号词，进一步搞懂学术概念，如果看完之后你还是一头雾水不知所云也不要着急，因为后面还有for example 或者for instance 之类的实例帮助你理解。

比如2009年11月8日的这道真题：

Latent learning

Latent learning is a psychological phenomenon referring to a form if learning in which knowledge is received without immediate awareness. Namely,it is when people learn something in their daily life,but the knowledge is not immediately expressed and may not be available to the conscious mind until specific experiences force this knowledge to be demonstrated.For instance,a child may observe a parent setting the table or tightening a screw,but does not act on this learning for a year.Then suddenly,he finds he knows how to do these things.

    这段文章主要就是介绍了Latent learning，大意就是文章的句话：
Latent learning is a psychological phenomenon referring to a form if learning in which knowledge is received without immediate awareness.
我们是否可以照搬这句话呢？个人认为这么做很不讨巧。这么做只会让考官认为你没有创造性，很可能会影响你的分数。因此，在概括时做一下同义词替换或者变换一下句子结构。这是在概括文章过程中百试不爽的概括方法。经过加工之后我们可以把这句话概括为：
Latent learning is a psychological phenomenon which means that people acquire knowledge or skills unconsciously.

    这句话很简单，但信息量还是蛮大的，它包括学术术语的名称、学术领域以及术语的名词解释。如果我们在看文章的时候万一没有关注到这些信息，是不是就死翘翘了呢？其实不然，幸运的话你还有一道双重保险，即教授讲课的开场白。开场白里通常情况下包含我们所需要的这些信息，因此认真听好老师的开场白也是可以的，只是这样会增加听力的难度。
概括文章除了刚才提到的同义替换和变换句子结构，还有一个重要的方法就是用上义词概括下义词。以2009年11月1日的真题为例：

Dormancy

In biology, dormancy occurs when organisms, both plant and animals, are subjected to environmental stress. It is a period in an organism’s life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped. For example, some animals become dormant in order to escape cold weather and food shortages during the winter. Also, minimizing physical activity helps organisms to conserve energy and lessen their demands on the environment.

    讲到生物学的话题，大家都很害怕，因为生物学涉及到很多生疏单词或者我们不太熟悉的概念。其实在看和听的过程中关注两点就可以了，如果讲动物，一般都是研究动物的行为特点或者生活习性，比如捕食、求偶或者休眠等。因此，，我们应该关注的是文中谈及动物的行为具体是怎样的；第二，我们还要关注它们这么做的目的是什么。文章的大意是说动植物在遇到恶劣的环境时就会暂停或者暂缓他们的生命活动，包括生长、发育以及身体活动，以此躲避不利的环境，例如寒冷的天气或者食物的缺乏等。这篇文章的大意散落在文中概括起来有一定难度，但把以上两个问题解决好了也就不难概括了。文中谈论的对象是plant and animal，在概括时我们就可以用他们的上义词organism来代替。文中提到动植物的growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped，说白了就是动植物休眠时变得inactive。文中还提到，动植物休眠的目的就是escape cold weather and food shortage，用文中的话概括起来就是escape environment stress，再一点就是escape harsh environmental condition. 信息加工处理之后我们可以这样概括：
Dormancy is a biological phenomenon which refers to a period of time when organisms will become inactive in order to escape harsh environmental condition.

    文章的概括在整个答题过程中只是个背景，重头戏其实是教授的讲座。老师讲课讲什么？用什么方法讲这是我们必须明确的问题。老师讲课内容就是对文章中提到的概念的深入讲解，所采用的方法大体包括两种，举例子和做实验。举例子一般都是两个，根据老师的信号词记下关键词，概括相对简单。如果遇到做实验的情况，概括起来就会有一定难度。但是，如果大家听力不错，有针对性的记下相关的关键信息，实验也将不再是浮云。在听讲座的过程中我们要带着一下四个问题去听：
1. 实验的目的是什么？
2. 实验的对象和工具是什么？
3. 实验的过程是怎样的？
4. 实验的结论是什么？

    试验的目的一般在老师讲课的开场白中，信号词test之后就是目的，即检验或者验证某个观点或者现象。试验的对象和器材是我们关注的第二大方面，常见的实验对象包括infant, children或者monkey之类，试验的器材相对而言比较广泛，具体情况具体对待。实验的过程是听力的重中之重，跟着老师做实验的步骤一步一步来，Firstly, and then, finally，同时记下关键的信息以及观察到的现象。我们要关注的是实验的大结论，教授花这么大的力气讲实验不是逗你玩的，因此一定要听清楚这个实验是验证了还是推翻了之前的理论或者观点？下面我们以2009年2月14日的真题为例一起解读一下教授的课堂内容：

M：Now we believe that observational learning may take place when children watch other people’s performances.In 1961,Bandura conducted his famous Bobo doll experiment to test whether or not children would imitate adult models’behavior,say,aggressive behavior or non-aggressive behavior.

Two groups of children were put separately into two playrooms,and two adult models were seated in each room containing a tinker toy and a Bobo doll.After a while,the aggressive model would attack the Bobo doll physically.Meanwhile,the non-aggressive model simply played with the tinker toys for the entire period.then,both children were taken into another playroom filled with highly entertaining toys and were left alone for 20 minutes.Judges watched each child from the window and recorded these children’s performance.

The result showed that the children exposed to the aggressive model were more likely to act in physically aggressive ways.Bandura successfully supported his theory of observational learning in this experiment and came to the conclusion that children tend to think that the behavior they are observing is acceptable.
从教授的开场白我们得知教授引用了Bandora的实验来阐述问题，目的就是test whether or not children would imitate adult models' behavior, aggressive behavior or non-aggressive behavior.实验的对象包括2组孩子，一个有攻击性的成年人和一个没有攻击性的成年人，试验的工具包括一个玩具和一个娃娃。实验步骤步"put 2 groups of children separately into 2 rooms, and two adult models were seated in each room containing a tinker toy and a bobo doll" 实验第二步"aggressive model attack bobo doll, non-aggressive model play with the tinker toy"; 实验第三步 "then, both children were taken into another playing room", "judges watched and recorded the children's performance" 实验的现象"the children exposed to the aggressive model were more aggressive"; 实验的大结论"Bandora successfully supported his theory", "children tend to think that the behavior they are observing is acceptable."
对我们所做的笔记进行加工之后我们可以这样概括教授的讲课内容：
In the lecture, the professor took Bandora's experiment to test whether or not children would imitate adults' behavior.
In the experiment, Bandora firstly divided the children into two groups. In group one, the aggressive model attacked the bobo doll; in group two, the non-aggressive model played with the tinker toy, and then he put the two groups of children into one entertaining room. The scholar found that the children who exposed to the aggressive model were more aggressive.
The professor concluded that Bandora's theory is correct. In another word, children are inclined to acquire knowledge through observational learning.   

    世上无难事，只怕有心人。再难的题总有应对的办法，只是你还没有掌握合适的方法。托福口语远不如你想的那样可怕，从战略上我们要藐视它，因为他确实只不过是选修课的难度；从战术上我们要重视它，毕竟英语不是我们的母语。搞定托福口语，听力能力和信息加工的能力是我们必不可少的战略武器。


作者简介：彭敏:托福100分班口语主讲，托福90分班词汇和口语主讲，青岛大学外国语言学及应用语言学硕士。授课形式生动活泼，互动性强，善于引导学员将口语知识融入到练习当中。

(本文选自新航道《托福频道》2012年上半年刊)