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SECTION TWO

LISTENING

LISTENING DIAGNOSTIC PRE-TEST LJJIR A

Section Directions

This section measures your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. You will hear each conversation or lecture only once. After each conversation or lecture, you will answer some questions about it. The questions typically ask about the main idea and supporting details. Some questions ask about a speaker’s purpose or attitude. Answer the questions based on what is stated or implied by the speakers.

You may take notes while you listen. You may use your notes to help you answer the questions. Your notes will not be scored.

If you want to change the volume while listening, click on the Volume icon at the top of the screen.

In some questions, you will see this icon: not see part of the question.

ooo

This means that you will hear, but

Some of the questions have special directions. These directions appear in a gray box on the screen. Most questions are worth one point. If a question is worth more than one point, it will have special directions that indicate how many points you can receive.

In this section of the test, it will take about 20 minutes to listen to the conversations and lectures and to answer the questions. You must answer each question. You will now start the Listening section.

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LISTENING

Questions 1-5 4») Listen to a conversation between an advisor and a student.

4. Which of the following does the advisor recommend that the student do? This question is worth 2 points (2 points for 3 correct answers, 1 point for 2 correct answers, and 0 points for 1 or 0 correct answers).

Click on 3 answers. E Ask to meet regularly with his history professor El Find out what each professor expects of his or her students in every course El Get up and go to his history class all the time Ei Ask for help and clarification from teaching assistants in larger classes El Take more careful notes on lectures and on textbook material

5. Listen again to part of the passage. Then answer the question. What does the advisor mean when she says this: ^>))

002

LISTENING

1. Why does the advisor want to talk with the student? ® To discuss her phone call with the professor and what he said about the student ® To help the student avoid failing a class by giving him advice about his studies O To find out more about the history professor's teaching style and exams © To explain what professors at the university require from their students

® She wants to meet the student next week to see how he is doing. ® If the student goes to at least 50 percent of the lectures, he should do well. © The student must take responsibility for attending lecture sessions. ® She is willing to show the student how to study for and pass his mid-semester exams.

2. What problems does the student have?

Click on 2 answers. C3 He is not doing well in several of his classes. EZI He is not studying the textbook material carefully enough. El He is not in class all the time. E He is not sure about what is being tested. 3. What does the advisor imply about the history professor’s exams?

® They have a style that is familiar to most students. ® They primarily test a specific approach discussed during lectures. © The teaching assistants can tell him which questions will be on the exams. © Many of the concepts they test cannot be found in the textbook.

LISTENING DIAGNOSTIC PRE-TEST

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7. What happens during human sleep?

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Questions 6-11 4>» Listen to part of a lecture in a psychology class.

Click on 2 answers. EK] Muscles become relaxed. □ The rate of breathing increases. 1__I The heart rate decreases. I~~l Brain waves decrease throughout sleep.

8. Why does the professor mention sleepwalking? O To differentiate between the sleep of humans and other mammals © To give an example of how people sometimes act out their dreams while asleep O To draw a contrast between muscle tone during REM sleep and during deep sleep O To illustrate a sleep disorder that is common during REM sleep

I

■— I

9. Listen again to part of the passage. Then answer the question.

Why does the professor say this: O To indicate that he is going to summarize part of the discussion O To clarify that muscle tone is not an essential concept O To change the topic of the discussion to something completely different O To emphasize the relative importance of brain waves for the discussion

10. Which of these types of animals experience changes in brain waves during sleep? This question is worth 2 points (2 points for 4 correct answers, 1 point for 3 correct answers, and 0 points for 2, 1, or 0 correct answers).

Place a checkmark in the correct box. 004

4» 6. What does the professor mainly want to get across in the discussion? C' How human sleep differs from the sleep of other animals O What happens to the muscles of humans and other animals during sleep O The types of brain-wave patterns that humans experience in sleep C The characteristics of sleep in all types of living beings

Experience changes in brain waves during sleep

Do not experience changes in brain waves

□ □ □ □

□ □ □ □

mammals fish birds reptiles

11. What conclusion can be drawn from the discussion? O Land animals dream, but marine animals do not. O Only humans experience sleep with true dreaming periods. O Most animals dream during sleep. O Birds might dream of birds, but fish can’t dream of fish.

Turn to pages 596-598 to diagnose your errors and record your results.

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LISTENING

LISTENING OVERVIEW The second section on the TOEFL iBT® test is the Listening section. This section consists of six passages, each followed by five or six questions. You may take notes as you listen to the passages and use your notes as you answer the questions. Test takers are given 60 to 90 minutes to complete the Listening section.

• The passages are set in an academic environment. There are 2- to 4-minute con­ versations that take place outside of the classroom and 4- to 6-minute lectures that take place inside the classroom. The Listening section is divided into two parts, and each part of the Listening section contains one conversation and two lectures. Note: Sometimes on the actual TOEFL iBT® test there is a third part with an additional conversation and two lectures. In this case, three of the nine listen­ ing passages will not be scored, but you will not know which ones.* Therefore you should try to do your best to answer all of the questions for all of the pas­ sages.

• The questions may ask about main ideas and details, purpose, the function of what the speaker said or the speaker's stance, the organization of ideas, and inferences based on the passage. Listening Section

Passage Type

Listening Length

Number of Questions

1 conversation 2 lectures

2-4 minutes 4-6 minutes each

5 questions 6 questions each

Part 2

1 conversation 2 lectures

2-4 minutes 4-6 minutes each

5 questions 6 questions each

★Part 3

1 conversation 2 lectures

2-4 minutes 4-6 minutes each

5 questions 6 questions each

LISTENING

Part 1

The following strategies can help you in the Listening section.

STRATEGIES FOR LISTENING 1. Be familiar with the directions. The directions on every test are the same, so it is not necessary to spend time reading the directions carefully when you take the test. You should be completely familiar with the directions before the day of the test.

2. Do not worry if a listening passage is on a topic that is not familiar to you. All of the information that you need to answer the questions is included in the passages. You do not need any special background knowledge to answer the questions.

3. Listen carefully to the passage. You will hear the passages one time only. You may not replay the audio passages during the test.

4. Use the visuals to help you to understand the passages. Each passage begins with a photograph showing the setting (such as a classroom in the case of lectures or a campus office in the case of conversations) and the person (such as a professor lecturing in the case of lectures) or people (such as two students or a professor/advisor and a student in the case of conversations) who are speaking. There may be other visuals (such as a diagram, a drawing, or a blackboard or whiteboard with important terminology) to help you to understand the content of the passage.

LISTENING OVERVIEW

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5. Take quick notes as you listen to the spoken material. You should focus on the main points and key supporting material. Do not try to write down everything you hear. Do not write down too many unnecessary details.

6. Look at each question to determine what type of question it is. The type of question tells you how to proceed to answer the question. 4 For gist questions, listen carefully to the beginning of the passage to develop an initial idea about the gist of the passage, or its purpose. Then, as you listen to the rest of the passage, adjust your idea about the main idea or general topic of the passage based on what the speakers are saying. • For detail questions, listen carefully to the details or facts in the passage. Then look for an answer that restates the information from the passage. • For function questions, listen carefully to what the speaker says in the part of the passage that is replayed. Then draw a conclusion about why the speaker says it. • For stance questions, listen carefully to what the speaker says in the part of the passage that is replayed. Then draw a conclusion about what the speaker feels.

• For organization questions, listen carefully to each of the points in the passage, especially examples, and consider how these points are organized, how they relate to the main topic, or how different ideas are related to each other. In addition, some organization questions ask about the function of a speaker's statement such as introducing a topic or changing the topic. Then look for an answer that shows the organization of the points. • For inference questions, listen carefully to each of the points in the passage and consider how these points might be related in a way not specifically stated by the speakers. You may also be asked to put together details from the passage in order to draw a conclusion. Then choose answers that show the implied relationship among the points.

7. Choose the best answer to each question. You may be certain of a particular answer, but if not, you should eliminate any definitely incorrect answers and choose from among the remaining ones.

8. Think carefully about a question before you answer it. You may not return to a question later in the test. You have only one opportunity to answer a given question.

9. Do not spend too much time on a question you are unsure of. If you truly do not know the answer to a question, simply guess and go on.

10. Monitor the time carefully on the title bar of the computer screen. The title bar indicates the time remaining in the section, the total number of questions in the section, and the number of the question that you are working on. The clock does not run while you are listening to the passage or the questions.

11. Guess to complete the section before time is up. It can only increase your score to guess the answers to questions that you do not have time to complete. (Points are not subtracted for incorrect answers.)

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LISTENING

LISTENING SKILLS The following skills will help you to implement these strategies in the Listening section of the TOEFL iBT® test.

BASIC COMPREHENSION Basic comprehension questions are related to what is stated in the passage. These questions may ask about the overall gist (the main idea or overall topic), or they may ask about spe­ cific details in the passage.

Listening Skill 1: UNDERSTAND THE GIST Gist questions are questions that ask about the overall ideas of a passage as a whole. They may ask about the subject, topic, or main idea of a passage. They may also ask what overall purpose the passage serves. It is important to understand that the gist of a passage may be directly stated in the passage, or you may have to synthesize (bring together) information from different parts of the passage to understand the overall gist. Strategies to Answer Gist Questions

• Pay attention to the beginning of the con­ versation or lecture. Often, you can form an overall idea of the gist.

LISTENING

• Adjust your initial idea based upon what you hear through the remainder of the passage.

Listen to any particular words that the speaker emphasizes or stresses (pronounces more loudly than other words). These emphasized words indicate important information.

005

Listen and look at an example of a part of a conversation, v Example 1 You see on the computer screen:

You hear:

(narrator) (student)

(advisor)

(student) (advisor)

(student) (advisor)

Listen to a conversation between an advisor and a student. I noticed that a comprehensive exam is required for my major, and I'm not exactly sure what that is. A comprehensive exam is given in the final quarter of your studies. Its purpose is to determine your overall competency. But how is it different from a final exam? Well, a final exam covers all the material taught in a specific course; a comprehensive exam, on the other hand, covers all of the materials taught in the entire program. And is it true that it's required for my major? I mean, it's not an option? (laughs) Sorry .. . it's not an option. It isn't required for all majors at this university, but it is required for yours. LISTENING SKILL 1

147

After you listen to the conversation, the question and answer choices appear on the com­ puter screen as the narrator states the question. This is a gist question that asks about the purpose of the passage. 006

You hear:

You see on the computer screen:

(narrator)

Why does the student go to see the advisor?

1. Why does the student go to see the advisor?

© To take an exam that she missed © To discuss what her major should be O To learn about a requirement for her major © To change her major

The correct answer is the third answer choice. In the conversation, the student says I noticed that a comprehensive exam is required for my major, and I'm not exactly sure what that is. From this, it can be determined that the student goes to see her advisor in order to learn about a require­ ment for her major. The first answer choice is incorrect because she has not missed an exam. The second and fourth answer choices are incorrect because the student has already chosen her major and does not say she plans to change it. Now listen and look at an example of another type of gist question. This gist question asks about the overall topic of the passage. 006

You hear: 4>))

You see on the computer screen:

(narrator)

What is the topic of this conversation?

2. What is the topic of this conversation? © © © ©

Choosing majors at this university When comprehensive exams are given Why final exams are comprehensive The exam requirement for a specific major

i

The fourth answer choice is the correct response. In the conversation, the student says I noticed that a comprehensive exam is required for my major, and I'm not exactly sure what that is, and the professor says a comprehensive exam isn't required for all majors at this university, but it is required for yours. From this, it can be determined that the topic of the conversation is the exam requirement for a specific major. The first answer choice is incorrect because the stu­ dent has already chosen her major. The second and third answer choices are incorrect because when and why comprehensive exams are given are only minor details in the conversation. 007

Now listen and look at an example of a lecture. ^>))

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LISTENING

Example 2 You see on the computer screen:

You hear: Listen to part of a lecture in an American Literature class. (Professor) OK, so we're going to look at some examples of the style of American literature known as the Beat Generation ... and, yes, it is spelled B-E-A-T. To understand the unconventional, experimental style of this genre of writing, you should know something about post-war USA in the 1940s and 1950s, uh ... that's when the Beats surfaced. So, immediately following the end of World War II, the U.S. experienced an economic boom, and materialism ran rampant. That is, people had started to believe that buying and owning more and more things was much more valuable than developing themselves intellectually and spiritually. Uh ... suburbs sprang up outside of urban areas; people chased the American Dream. Conventional literature .. . such as early twentieth-century Modernism, for example ... was considered too carefully organized, even, well... a little too conservative. Now, as a reaction to the social materialism and formality of this writing style, a radical group of writers at Columbia University in New York began to create a form that broke with tradition, tearing apart or ignoring conventional literary structures and utilizing a bold, expressive style that was filled with raw feelings and language. (narrator)

LISTENING SKILL 1

149

LISTENING

After you listen to the lecture, the question and answer choices appear on the computer screen as the narrator states the question. This is a gist question that asks about the main idea of the passage.

008

You see on the computer screen:

You hear: 4 (narrator)

What is the professor mainly discussing?

1. What is the professor mainly discussing?

® Problems people had with a style of American literature ® The historical events of the early twentieth century © What was happening in the United States when a new genre of literature appeared © The events that led the Beat writers to accept Modernism

The correct answer is the third answer choice. In the conversation, the professor says, that to understand the unconventional, experimental style of this genre of writing, you should know some­ thing about post-war USA in the 1940s and 1950s . . . when the Beats surfaced. This means that the professor is speaking of the historical events that were happening when the genre or style of literature called the Beat Generation surfaced, or appeared. The first answer choice is incorrect because the passage does not mention problems people had with the literature. The second answer choice is incorrect because the professor is speaking of the mid-twentieth century (1940s-1950s), not the early twentieth century. The fourth answer choice is incorrect because, although Modernism was mentioned, the professor did not say that the Beat writers accepted it. 008 Now listen and look at an example of another type of gist question. ^>)) This gist question asks about the purpose of the passage.

You see on the computer screen:

You hear: (narrator)

2. Why is the professor discussing this topic? To explain the historical background that led to the new style of Beat Generation writing To clarify the reasons that the people of the United States were critical of materialism (Q To compare two specific types of literature that originated at Columbia University ' To argue that the Beat Generation caused many social problems I————

150

LISTENING

Why is the professor discussing this topic?

The correct answer is the first answer choice. The professor says she is going to talk about a specific historical period in which the new Beat Generation writing surfaced or appeared so that the students will understand the unconventional, experimental style, of this genre of writing. The second answer choice is incorrect because the Beat Generation writers were critical of materialism, not the people of the United States who the professor indicates had become more materialistic. The third answer choice is incorrect because, while the style of Mod­ ernism (a type of literature) is briefly mentioned, there is no indication in the passage that it originated at Columbia University. The professor only states that there was a group of the Beat Generation writers at Columbia University. The fourth answer choice is incorrect because the passage does not say that the Beat Generation writers were the cause of social problems. The following chart outlines the key points that you should remember about gist questions. KEY POINTS FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE GIST There will usually be one gist question after every passage, and it is usually the first question after the passage. If there is a gist question, there will only be one per passage.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION

What is the subject of the passage? What is the topic of the discussion? What is the professor mainly discussing? What is the purpose of the talk? Why does the student go to see the advisor? Why ... in the passage?

WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER

Information to help you understand the gist may be directly stated at the beginning of the passage. It may also be necessary for you to draw a conclusion about the gist based upon information provided throughout the passage.

HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

1. Listen carefully to the beginning of the passage to develop an initial idea about the gist of the passage. 2. Then, as you listen to the rest of the passage, adjust your idea of the gist of the passage as you consider what the speakers are saying.

In the exam, you may be able to eliminate incorrect answer choices by understanding what is wrong with them. For gist questions, incorrect answer choices may: • be true, but be only a minor detail in the passage. • mention some ideas or key words from the passage, but incorrectly state the relationship between ideas. • incorrectly state the focus or viewpoint of the main idea. • be untrue, but a logical conclusion if you only understand a few key words from the passage.

------- —---------------------------------------------------------------

LISTENING SKILL 1

151

LISTENING

FREQUENCY OF QUESTION TYPE

LISTENING EXERCISE 1: Listen to each passage and the questions that follow. Then choose the best answers to the questions. □09

011

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2) ))

PASSAGE FOUR (Questions 7-8) 4»)

Listen to a student consulting a professor.

Listen to part of a lecture in a meteorology class.

014

•))

Example 2

You see on the computer screen:

You hear:

(narrator) (advisor) (student)

(advisor)

(student)

(advisor)

(student)

(advisor)

Listen to part of a conversation between an advisor and a student. Are you going to the summer internship fair? That's Saturday, right? Actually, I'm going to watch basketball over at friend's house. And besides, I already have a job lined up for the summer. Do you mean that construction job with your dad that you mentioned to me last time we talked? Yes, that's the one. There's no job search or application process needed to get it, and it pays much better than any internship. Yes, but you can get some incredibly important experience with internships. And I'm thinking that unless you're planning to do construction work after you graduate, that it's only cash. Uh, I don't mean it's a bad job, just that it won't provide you with anything that is especially great for your resume. But that's my pocket money for the year. If I don't make any money during the summer, I won't have cash to do anything with during the school year. Well, I'll bet your parents would be willing to give you some more money if you showed them an amazing opportunity you'd managed to line up. They'd probably be proud.

After you listen to the conversation, the first question and answer choices appear on the computer screen as the narrator states the question. This is a detail question with two correct answers.

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LISTENING

You see on the computer screen:

You hear: (narrator)

020

What reasons does the student give for not attending the internship fair?

1. What reasons does the student give for not attending the internship fair?

Click on two answers. □ He is starting a construction job on Saturday. □ He already has a summer job. □ He has not filled out an application. □ He has something planned on Saturday.

The second and fourth answer choices are correct. The student says that he's going to watch basketball (his plans) on Saturday and that he already has a job lined up for the summer. The first answer choice is incorrect because his construction job starts in the summer, and not on Saturday. The third answer choice is incorrect because there is no mention of an application being required to attend the fair. The student only mentions that he does not have to go through an application process for the construction job. 020

Now listen and look at another question about the conversation.

You hear: (narrator)

Why does the advisor think the student should attend the internship fair?

2. Why does the advisor think the student should attend the internship fair? O The internships are easy to find and apply for. O An internship can provide the student’s spending money for the school year. O The internships provide better experience than what the student has planned. O The student’s parents will be upset if he doesn’t find an internship for the summer.

The third answer choice is correct. The advisor states that you can get some really important experience with the internships and that the construction job won't provide you with anything that is especially great for your resume. Therefore, she believes the internships provide better experi­ ence than the job the student has planned. The first and second answer choices are incorrect because the student says that the construction job, not an internship, is easy and provides pocket money, or spending money. The fourth answer choice is incorrect because the advisor says that the student's parents will probably be proud if he finds a good opportunity, not that they will be upset if he does not.

LISTENING SKILL 2

157

LISTENING

You see on the computer screen:

The following chart outlines the key points you should remember about detail questions.

FREQUENCY

Detail questions are the most common question type. Every passage will have at least one, and they are quite common for lectures.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION

What is stated in the passage about. . .? What is indicated in the passage about. . . ? According to the speaker, . . . ? What does the professor say about . . . ? Why does the man suggest . . . ? How/When/Where did . . . ?

WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER(S)

Information needed to answer detail questions is directly stated in the passage. The answers to detail questions are generally found in the same order in the passage as the questions that appear after the passage.

HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

1. Listen carefully to the details in the passage and take quick notes on key terms. 2. Look for an answer that correctly restates the information from the passage. 3. Eliminate the definitely wrong answers and choose the best answers from the remaining choices.

Incorrect answer choices to detail questions may: • be a logical choice that makes sense, but that is not mentioned in the passage. • confuse the relationship between details that are mentioned in the passage. • state a relationship between details that is opposite from the one stated in the passage. • simply restate key words from the passage.

LISTENING EXERCISE 2: Listen to each passage and the questions that follow. Then choose the best answers to the questions. 021

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-5) Listen to a conversation between an office worker and a student. 022