TOEFL Academic Talk Practice: Smart Materials
This lesson simulates the TOEFL Listen to an Academic Talk task in an engineering subject. You hear one original talk on smart materials and answer four mock questions in the test’s format.
You will learn vocabulary for materials and their properties with audio for every word, use refer to and be known as to explain a term or supply a name, practice answering from the definition a speaker supplies, answer four questions on the practice video, and review your listening with a short checklist.
VOCABULARY
Materials and their properties
These words help you describe what things are made of, how they respond, and what they can do.
material (noun)
A substance used to make something. Synonyms: substance, matter
The artist uses recycled material for her sculptures.
property (noun)
A quality or characteristic that something has. Synonyms: characteristic, quality
Water resistance is an important property of this fabric.
response (noun)
A reaction to something that happens. Synonyms: reaction, reply
The audience’s response to the final song was enthusiastic.
to bend (verb)
To move or force something into a curved or angled shape. Synonyms: to curve, to flex
Bend the card gently along the marked line.
to regain (verb)
To get back something that was lost. Synonyms: to recover, to get back
She regained her confidence after a successful rehearsal.
component (noun)
One part of a larger object or system. Synonyms: part, element
The battery is the heaviest component of the device.
to activate (verb)
To make something start working. Synonyms: to switch on, to start
Press the green button to activate the alarm.
to adjust (verb)
To change something slightly to make it more suitable. Synonyms: to alter, to modify
You can adjust the chair to a comfortable height.
range (noun)
The limits within which something varies. Synonyms: span, scope
The shop sells cameras in a wide price range.
suitable (adjective)
Right for a particular purpose or situation. Synonyms: appropriate, fitting
Choose footwear that is suitable for a long walk.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
Explaining terms and giving names
In an academic talk, a speaker may define an unfamiliar term or introduce a name for something already described. Recognizing these signals helps you connect the new expression to the explanation and follow later references to it.
Explain a meaning or introduce a name
Use refer to when you start with a term and explain its meaning. Use be known as when you start with a thing or group and supply its name. In listening, notice which information comes after the construction: an explanation of what the term means, or the label you should connect to the description.
- [Term] refers to [noun phrase]. Use refer to to explain what a word or expression means in a particular context.
In this guide, “residents” refers to people who live in the neighborhood.
The phrase “peak hours” refers to the busiest times of day.
- [Subject] is/are known as [name or label]. Use be known as to introduce the name by which something is commonly identified.
A shop where people exchange items is known as a swap shop.
These short introductory courses are known as taster sessions.
TEST TIP
Connect the term to its explanation
An academic talk uses technical terms you are not expected to know beforehand, and it supplies each definition once, usually in the sentence right after the term. Your answer must come from that supplied definition and nothing else. Two things make this harder than it sounds: the talk keeps developing the term after defining it, and the wrong choices are built from material that sounds like it belongs.
Wrong answers in this question type rarely contradict the talk outright. More often they add a property the speaker never mentioned, or they keep the real definition and reverse it, putting the response where the trigger should be. Check that every part of your answer was actually supplied by the speaker, and that the direction runs the way the speaker stated it.
Illustrative example
Keep the direction the speaker gave it. A definition can be reversed and still sound correct.
Engineering lecture
A piezoelectric material links force and voltage. Press or bend the material and it produces a small electrical charge. The relationship also runs the other way: apply a voltage and the material changes shape slightly. Sensors use the first direction, and actuators use the second.
In this lecture, what does a piezoelectric material do when it is used in a sensor?
Why the second description fits
Both directions are genuinely in the talk, so neither choice contradicts it. The question asks about the sensor, and the speaker attaches sensors to the first direction: force in, charge out. The rejected choice describes the actuator.
TASK PRACTICE
Listen to an academic talk about smart materials
Listen to one original engineering talk and answer four questions. Keep unfamiliar terms connected to their explanations as the speaker develops the topic.
Exam format
The talk plays once. You may take notes. Four questions follow, one at a time, with four written choices each. Choose one answer for every question and move forward within the recommended time provided in the video.
Review your listening
After answering the questions, replay the talk and use its main explanation and supporting examples to review your choices.
After your TOEFL Academic Talk practice on smart materials
You practiced following an explanation of responsive materials and using the talk’s definitions to answer listening questions. You also built vocabulary for properties, movement, and practical uses.
You can use refer to to explain a term and be known as to introduce a name. When a term is unfamiliar, listen for the explanation supplied and retain the conditions that make it accurate.
Next, practice identifying the whole explanation in Map projections.
For the complete task format and listening approach, see the Listen to an Academic Talk guide. Browse the TOEFL lesson collection for another task or subject.
CONTINUE PRACTICING
Continue with the slide collection
Use the complete deck for vocabulary and Grammar Focus activities, two multiple-choice activities on interpreting terms, a guided transcript review, explanations of all four answer choices, and speaking practice.