TOEFL® interview questions: Music in everyday life

I listened to an old playlist while cleaning my dormitory last Sunday. I had been avoiding the job because my desk was covered with papers and empty boxes. The songs reminded me of a trip with my school friends, and I started singing quietly while sorting things. The work did not disappear, but it felt less boring. I finished the room before the playlist ended. Now I sometimes choose a few songs before doing a task that I do not enjoy.

• had been avoiding the job · The past perfect continuous shows the ongoing delay before the cleaning began.
• while sorting things · The ‘while’ phrase ties the music to the actual work being done.

Music made cleaning my dormitory feel less like punishment last weekend. My desk had slowly disappeared under notes, takeaway bags, and half-finished craft projects, so I kept putting the job off. I played a playlist from a school trip and started with one corner. The songs brought back conversations from that journey, and before long I was sorting papers without noticing the chore. I don't think the music made me work much faster. It changed the mood enough for me to begin and keep going. Now I use that playlist as a small signal that it's time to reset the room.

• kept putting the job off · ‘Put off’ means delay; ‘kept’ stresses it happened again and again.
• a small signal that it's time to reset the room · The ‘that’ clause explains how the music became a cue to start a habit.

I prefer silence when I am studying something difficult. If a song has words, I start listening to them instead of reading my notes. Even quiet music can make me lose the sentence I am trying to understand. I usually go to a quiet floor in the library before exams. I do listen to music when I organise files or draw simple diagrams. For learning new material, though, silence helps me notice when I have stopped paying attention.

• instead of reading · ‘Instead of’ plus a gerund shows two activities competing for attention.
• For learning new material · ‘For’ limits the preference to one specific kind of task.

For difficult reading, I'd choose silence. Lyrics compete with the words on the page, and instrumental music can also distract me. I discovered this while trying to read a dense history article with my usual playlist on. I kept reaching the bottom of a paragraph without knowing what it had said. Turning the music off didn't make the article easy, but it removed one thing I was switching between. I do like music for organizing folders or sketching a poster, where the task is less verbal. Silence isn't universally better; it suits the concentration I need to understand an unfamiliar argument.

• Lyrics compete with the words on the page · ‘Compete with’ explains concretely how lyrics pull attention away from reading.
• the task is less verbal · ‘Verbal’ precisely separates word-based tasks from tasks that are not.

I disagree because enjoyment is also a good reason to learn. I began learning the guitar at university, and I am still slow at changing chords. However, I can play two simple songs with my roommate, and that makes our evenings more interesting. I do not expect to perform on a stage. The lessons give me a break from my main subject and a small goal outside exams. Starting late means I have different aims, not that the activity has no value.

• a small goal outside exams · A concrete noun phrase showing that learning for fun has value apart from exams.
• different aims · Reframes starting late as having different goals, answering the claim that only high skill counts.

I don't agree, because that treats music mainly as a route to professional achievement. I started learning guitar at university and still pause awkwardly between some chords. Yet being able to play a simple song with my roommate has given us an enjoyable way to spend an evening. I also like having something where progress is small, audible, and unrelated to my grades. Of course, beginning early can help someone aiming for a demanding performance career. But that's not what I'm trying to do. I don't need to become exceptional at every hobby before I'm allowed to enjoy learning it.

• small, audible, and unrelated to my grades · Three parallel adjectives describe guitar progress from different angles.
• someone aiming for a demanding performance career · The participle phrase limits who actually benefits from starting early.

I think a few free rooms would be helpful if the university has space. Students in dormitories cannot practise freely because other people need quiet. My roommate plays the guitar, and he often stops when someone wants to study. A booking system could let different groups share the rooms fairly. I would not build a large new centre only for this, but using an empty room with suitable sound control seems reasonable. Students could also give occasional performances for the campus.

• because other people need quiet · The ‘because’ clause explains the real conflict of practising in a dormitory.
• share the rooms fairly · ‘Share’ shows how a booking system divides a limited resource.

I'd support a small number of shared rooms for amateur practice. In a dormitory, even a careful musician can disturb someone studying or sleeping. My roommate often cuts a guitar session short for that reason. A room with suitable sound control would solve a real conflict, and a booking limit could prevent a few groups from taking every evening slot. The university should check demand and use existing space where possible. A service can benefit a minority, but its cost should be proportionate. A modest facility that supports hobbies and reduces noise elsewhere seems reasonable.

• cuts a guitar session short · ‘Cut something short’ means ending an activity earlier than planned.
• its cost should be proportionate · ‘Proportionate’ says spending should match the scale of demand.