Speaking Section: Question 1 >> Why is it SO hard ?

Hello !

This is my first post and as most of you I am going to take the TOEFL ibt very soon (in two weeks to be exact).

I need a total score of 90 with at least 21 in each section to meet Melbourne Uni and Monash's requirements ( grrr last year they *only* wanted the students to get at least 21 in the writing section but they decided to level up...). While I am not really worried about the listening and the reading sections, the speaking one is a torture, especially question 1.

What really annoys me is my lack of imagination. Indeed I keep saying "huuuuh" "huuuuh" while making things up and the things I say (when I say something) are completely shallow. I actually can't really think of anything to say.
My typical answer to question one was something along those lines : " A person I really like is my friend T because huuuuuh because she is nice and huuuh she is friendly annnnnd huuh she knows me very well and huuuh those are good qualities for a friend. Don't you think so ? *giggles for saying so stupid things*. Also she is really huuuuh" BEEEEP your time is over.

Thanks to Jason's video I know that my answer should not look like a long enumeration of all the qualities of my favourite friend, place or food. That's already a good thing to know, isn't it?

Still, my biggest problem remains. Am I the only one who, once the preparation time is over, has still not decided what to talk about?
This happens to me most of the time and I don't know how to remedy it.
I mean, even in my native language, French, I would face the same problem  ( It reminds me of my French teacher who decided to ask a different question to each student about our tastes etc etc and we had to answer without preparing anything. When my turn came I couldnt think of anything to say... it was pathetic).

So now i wonder, what is the point of such a question?...
And what I should I do to improve? ( in that case I could say " to make it less bad" )

Anyway thanks to Jason's youtube videos I have a better idea of what i will be expected to say which drives me to ask another question about question 4.
In his video, Jason tells us that the basic way to answer the question is ( roughly ) :

1 to state which is the main topic of both the reading and listening passage
2 to say whether the listening passage casts doubt on the reading passage or supports the reading passage or refutes it.
3 to talk about the lecture and to give the main ideas and details of it
4 to relate it back to the reading passage

Then what if the question is something like : How does the lecture cast doubt on the reading passage? Give examples and details to support your answer.

Indeed, in such a question it is already stated that the lecture casts doubt on the reading passage so should we repeat it or not? ( that's to say, should we remove stage two)

Sorry for those silly questions, I am so nervous about this test... I really wish I could go to Australia as a foreign student for one year ^^ and it would really annoy me not to be able to realise my dream only because of a stupid point or two in this speaking section !!
Moreover this test is relatively expensive in my opinion, I can't afford to take it a hundred of times...

Anyway, thank you very much Jason for posting all those tips :-D I am sure they will be pretty helpful !
I wish you all the best with this website !