Speaking: Narration of Pictures Flashcards

In the Eiken picture narration task, what is the most important objective for the test-taker?

Answer: To create a cohesive and logical story that connects all the pictures.

The primary goal of the narration task is not just to describe images, but to use them as prompts to tell a coherent story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. While details are important, they should serve the story. The focus is on narrative flow and logical connection between the panels.

Scenario: The first picture shows a young woman looking at a wilting, sad-looking plant on her desk. The second picture shows her at a library, reading a book about gardening. Which sentence best connects these two pictures in a narration?

Answer: One day, a woman was sad because her plant was dying. To find a solution, she went to the library to research how to care for it.

This answer is the most effective because it establishes the character's motivation and creates a logical cause-and-effect link between the two scenes. It explains *why* the woman went to the library, which is a key element of storytelling.

When narrating a four-panel story, which of the following transitional phrases is most appropriate for moving from the third picture to the fourth and final picture?

Answer: Finally,

"Finally," or similar phrases like "In the end," is the standard way to signal the conclusion of a sequence of events. It clearly tells the listener that this is the last part of the story and its resolution.

Which of the following is considered a poor strategy during the one-minute preparation time before the narration begins?

Answer: Trying to write down and memorize a complete, word-for-word script.

There is not enough time to write a full script, and trying to memorize it will likely make the narration sound unnatural and robotic. If you forget a word, you might get stuck. The preparation time is best used for outlining key points, not for scripting.

While it is important to describe the actions in the pictures, a high-scoring narration also includes inferences about the characters. Which of the following is the best example of an inference?

Answer: The boy was probably feeling lonely, so he was happy when his parents gave him a puppy.

This statement goes beyond simple description. It interprets the character's feelings ('lonely,' 'happy') and explains the motivation behind the events, which are not explicitly stated but can be reasonably guessed from the context of the story. The other options are just direct observations.

In general, what is the most appropriate and commonly used verb tense for telling the main story in the Eiken picture narration task?

Answer: Simple past tense (e.g., 'The man opened the door.')

The simple past tense is the standard tense for storytelling, as it recounts events that have already happened in a chronological sequence. While the simple present can sometimes be used (the 'historical present'), the simple past is the most reliable and expected choice for this task.