TOEFL® interview questions: Exercise routines

I started walking around the campus lake with my roommate last semester. We wanted to move more, but neither of us liked going to the gym. We chose Tuesday and Thursday evenings after dinner. At first, we walked for only twenty minutes. After a few weeks, it became something we expected to do together. We sometimes missed a day when assignments were due, but we started again the next week. Having another person made the plan easier to continue.

• neither of us · ‘Neither of us’ briefly says that both people disliked going to the gym.
• started again the next week · Showing the restart after a break makes the habit story more believable.

I tried joining a gym in my first year, but the journey there felt like another task on my list. Last semester, my roommate suggested walking around the campus lake after dinner twice a week. We began with twenty minutes and didn't measure distance or speed. We still missed walks around deadlines, but we treated those as interruptions rather than reasons to give up. After a month, the walk had become our usual time to talk about the day. I think it lasted because it fitted a routine we already had, instead of demanding a completely new version of our lives.

• treated those as interruptions · ‘Treat A as B’ shows how the speaker viewed the occasional missed walks.
• fitted a routine we already had · ‘Fit a routine’ explains why the new habit was easy to keep.

I would choose a team sport, probably badminton with friends. I find it easier to exercise when someone is expecting me. If I plan to run alone, I often decide that I am too tired. With badminton, I also enjoy the game itself, so I do not keep checking the time. The only problem is arranging a court and a partner. I would book the same evening each week because that makes the plan easier for everyone to remember.

• someone is expecting me · The progressive tense shows the push that comes from someone waiting for you.
• keep checking the time · ‘Keep’ plus a gerund describes repeatedly looking at the clock.

I'd choose a team activity, provided we could arrange it without too much difficulty. A weekly badminton game works well for me because the attention shifts from exercising to keeping the rally going. I also find it harder to cancel when a friend has booked a court and is expecting me. Running alone is more flexible, but I often use that flexibility to postpone it until tomorrow. I wouldn't enjoy a group where every missed session became a source of guilt. A regular booking with people of a similar ability would give me enough commitment to show up while keeping the hour enjoyable.

• keeping the rally going · Names exactly where attention goes during play, which is more convincing than just calling it fun.
• use that flexibility to postpone it · Shows how flexibility can lead to delay, which explains the speaker's preference.

I disagree because movement can be useful without making me exhausted. I walk to the library most days, and that short journey helps me leave my desk and clear my head. If I thought only a hard workout counted, I might do nothing on busy days. I enjoy a difficult badminton game sometimes, but I do not need that feeling every day. For my routine, regular activities that I can keep doing seem more valuable than occasional very tiring sessions.

• clear my head · ‘Clear my head’ naturally expresses thinking more clearly after some activity.
• might do nothing on busy days · A hypothetical result shows the practical problem with a standard set too high.

I don't use exhaustion as my measure. A demanding badminton match can be satisfying, but on busy days I may only manage a walk between buildings. If I dismissed that completely, exercise would become something reserved for perfect days with plenty of spare time. I noticed this during exam revision: a short evening walk helped me switch off, even though I wasn't particularly tired afterwards. I'm not claiming that every activity achieves the same thing. I just think the standard should match the purpose. For me, building a routine I can return to matters more than proving how hard I worked in a single session.

• reserved for perfect days · ‘Reserved for’ shows how a strict standard shrinks the chances to exercise.
• the standard should match the purpose · ‘Match’ links how exercise is judged to what it is for.

I think some basic facilities should be free. Students already pay many costs, and a small charge can stop people from trying an activity. I would use an outdoor court more often if I did not need to pay each time. However, equipment and cleaning also cost money. The university could keep walking tracks and some courts free, then charge for special classes or expensive equipment. This seems fairer than making every student pay the same sports fee.

• stop people from trying · ‘Stop someone from doing’ shows how a charge affects participation.
• charge for special classes · ‘Charge for’ names what students would pay for, showing a tiered plan.

I'd keep a basic range of facilities free and charge for services that cost substantially more to provide. At my university, an open court or a simple exercise room would probably encourage more students to try something than another premium training program. I know friends who avoid booking a court because they don't want to pay before finding out whether they enjoy the sport. Free access could remove that first barrier. On the other hand, specialist coaching and equipment hire create costs that not everyone uses. The aim would be broad access without pretending that every service costs the same.

• remove that first barrier · ‘Remove a barrier’ makes the effect of free entry-level access concrete.
• cost substantially more to provide · A degree adverb and an infinitive precisely separate services by what they cost.