TOEFL Academic Talk Practice: Map Projections
This lesson simulates the TOEFL Listen to an Academic Talk task in a geography subject. You hear one original talk on map projections and answer four mock questions in the test’s format.
You will learn vocabulary for describing representations and their features with audio for every word, use be concerned with to name the subject an explanation deals with, practice choosing a main idea that covers more than the opening example, answer four questions on the practice video, and review your listening with a short checklist.
VOCABULARY
Maps and representation vocabulary
These ten words help you describe what something shows, the features it keeps, and the compromises involved.
projection (noun)
A way of representing Earth’s curved surface on a flat map. Synonyms: map representation, mapping
The atlas identifies the projection used for each world map.
surface (noun)
The outside or upper layer of something. Synonyms: exterior, outer layer
Let the paint dry before touching the surface.
outline (noun)
The line that marks the outer shape of something. Synonyms: contour, silhouette
We could see the outline of the theater against the evening sky.
proportion (noun)
The amount of one part compared with a whole. Synonyms: share, fraction
A small proportion of the tickets were sold at the door.
to represent (verb)
To show or describe something using a picture, sign, or other form. Synonyms: to depict, to stand for
The blue bars represent the number of visitors each month.
to preserve (verb)
To keep something in its original state or prevent its loss. Synonyms: to maintain, to retain
The archive works to preserve recordings of local storytellers.
to distort (verb)
To change the shape or meaning of something so that it becomes inaccurate. Synonyms: to alter, to misrepresent
The damaged speaker distorted the singer’s voice.
purpose (noun)
The reason something is done or used. Synonyms: aim, function
The purpose of the meeting is to agree on a rehearsal schedule.
feature (noun)
A noticeable or important part or quality of something. Synonyms: characteristic, attribute
Large windows are the most attractive feature of the apartment.
tradeoff (noun)
A situation in which gaining one benefit means giving up another. Synonyms: compromise, exchange
There is a tradeoff between a lighter laptop and a larger screen.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
Naming the subject with be concerned with
Recognizing what a speaker is concerned with helps you follow the subject being explained in an academic talk.
[S] am/is/are concerned with [noun phrase / verb-ing phrase].
Use be concerned with to name what a report, project, person, or discussion deals with. This use is common in formal explanations. After with, use a noun phrase or an -ing phrase.
- Name a topic with a noun phrase.
The report is concerned with access to public transport.
These documentaries are concerned with traditional music.
- Name an activity with an -ing phrase.
Our project is concerned with restoring old recordings.
I am concerned with reducing mistakes during training.
TEST TIP
Identify the whole explanation
A talk often opens with a vivid example to get your attention, then moves to the concept that example illustrates. The main idea is the concept and what the speaker does with it, not the example that introduced it. Listen past the opening until you hear what the whole talk is organized around.
Wrong main-idea choices are usually the right topic at the wrong size. Most often they shrink the talk to one of its parts, and sometimes they add a purpose or a history the speaker never raised. Check that your summary covers every major section of the talk, and that nothing in it came from outside the talk.
Compare the summaries
Watch for the narrow trap. An important detail can still be too small to be the main idea, and a summary that sounds like the point can still overstate it.
Geology lecture
A single lightning strike can fuse desert sand into a hollow glass tube, and that striking image is where most accounts of fulgurites begin.
Researchers value them for a different reason. The branching shape of the tube preserves the path the current took through the ground, and its chemistry preserves the composition of the sand it passed through.
Because of this, geologists use fulgurites to estimate how often storms struck regions that have no recorded weather history. The tubes are fragile and usually recovered in fragments, so a single specimen supports only a limited claim.
Which summary covers the whole explanation?
Why the final summary fits
The first summary is accurate, but it describes only the opening image the speaker uses to introduce the subject. The second covers the research use and sounds like the point of the talk, yet it drops the speaker’s last move: the tubes are fragile and fragmentary, so the evidence is limited. The final summary keeps all three parts.
TASK PRACTICE
Listen to an academic talk about maps
Listen to one original geography talk and answer four questions. Keep your attention on how the examples contribute to the whole explanation.
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 map projections
In this lesson you practiced following a geography talk and answering four TOEFL Academic Talk questions. Furthermore, you built vocabulary for describing representations, their features and their limitations. Finally, you learned how to use be concerned with to name the subject or activity an explanation deals with.
Next, find more Academic Talk listening practice in Smart materials.
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
Turn this lesson into a class-ready sequence with vocabulary speaking practice, four opportunities to use be concerned with, the complete listening practice, worked answers, a transcript, and a closing speaking connection. The deck includes teacher notes with suggested timings and learning objectives.
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