TOEFL Listening Comprehension
The TOEFL Listening
Comprehension Test aims to test your ability to understand spoken language.
However, in order to understand the spoken language, in addition to having to
get used to listening to spoken English, you must have an adequate knowledge of
the structure of the language (grammar) of English. All sentences in this
section use sentences that are grammatically correct (correct according to
grammar) and usually in the form of complete sentences. All of these sentences
are spoken in English conversation. To answer questions about the TOEFL Listening Comprehension test
properly, you are required to have the ability to:
1. understanding
pressure and tone,
2. understand the
difference in sound,
3. understand
idioms in English,
4. understand
speech phrases,
5. understand verb
groups or phrases,
6. find implied
information (not clearly stated),
7. understand the
comparison, and
8. understand the
meaning / content of a conversation or conversation.
Tips and Tricks for Answering
the Listening Compehension Problem:
1. Understand the
forms of direction for each part well before the exam day.
2. Read the
choices on each question as much as possible when the narrator is reading out
the commands and example questions (example).
3. Listen
attentively and focus your attention on the conversation you are listening to.
4. Maximize your
listening skills on the first questions in each section.
Types of Questions About Toefl
Listening Comprehension Tests
You really need to understand the various forms of TOEFL Listening
Comprehensive test questions, such as:
1. Questions about the Main Idea.
a. What is the
main idea of this talk?
b. What are
they talking about?
2. Questions about the topic of the discussion.
a. What is the
text about?
b. What is the
talk about?
c. What does
the text talk about?
d. What is the
topic of this talk?
3. Questions about Conclusion/Inference.
a. What can we
infer from the talk?
b. What is the
conclusion of this meeting?
4. Questions that ask detailed information about Who, What), Where, When, and How.
a. Where did it
happen?
b. When was
this virus invented?
c. How could
the explorer obtained the location?
d. Who is
invited to the party?
e. What time
did the meeting begin ?
5. Questions about Suggestion/Advice.
a. What does
the woman suggest?
b. What should
the man do?
6. Question about Implication.
What does
this statement imply?
7. Questions about Purpose.
What is the
purpose of the talk?
8.
Questions
about Title.
What is the
best title of the talk?
9.
Questions
about Speaker's View, such as: satisfied, sad, happy,
critical, etc.
a.
What's the speaker's impression about the event?
b.
What does the speaker's feel about it?
10. Questions about Audience.
a.
Who is the speech addressing to?
b.
Whom is the speaker talk to?
Structure of the Toefl
Listening Comprehension Test
The TOEFL Listening Comprehension Test Section questions consist of
three parts with 50 questions.
1. Part A
(Part A) consists of 30 questions.
2. Part B
(Part B) consists of seven to eight questions.
3. Part C
(Part C) consists of 11 to 13 questions.
To answer these 50 questions, you are given a time between 35-40
minutes. So, you have between 12-15 seconds to answer 1 question. All questions
will be played on tape and there are no headphones, but using speakers
(loudspeakers) that have been prepared for the TOEFL test. Speakers on tape use
the pronunciation and expression of American English whose speech and
expression are somewhat different from British English. You really need to
understand the differences, especially the way they are pronounced. Sufficient
knowledge about the differences in British English and American English
especially in terms of pronunciation will greatly support your ability to do
Listening Comprehension tests.
Part A
In Part A, you will hear about 30 short conversations (short
conversations) between two people and each one conversation will be followed by
one question. On average, one speaker only speaks once. When you listen to a
conversation, you must pay close attention to the words spoken by the second
speaker, because usually the keywords to answer are in the sentence spoken by
the second speaker.
The second speaker will usually provide important information that
allows you to answer questions. After one conversation is over you will hear a
question. Four answer choices are available in the question sheet. All answers
are arranged grammatically, and all of them seem correct. But actually there is
ONLY ONE correct answer. You are given 10 to 12 seconds to answer each problem.
Tips and tricks for answering questions in Part A:
1. Focus your
hearing on the second person.
2. Don't panic if
you can't comprehend word for word in a complete conversation. You only need to
capture the idea or content of the conversation.
3. If you cannot
understand what the second speaker is talking about at all, choose the answer
that is the most different from what you hear.
4. Understand
functional expression forms such as agreement, uncertainty, suggestion, surprise,
idiomatic expression, and situation when the conversation is done.
Question words that are usually used in conversation, especially:
1.
What
(What / What is / What)
2.
Where
(Where or Where)
3.
When
(when).
The following are some of the uses of question words
that often appear on the TOEFL Listening Section Test A:
1.
What does the (man/woman) mean?
2.
What will the (man/woman) probably do (next)?
3.
What will the speakers do?
4.
What is the (man/woman) going to do?
5.
What does the (man/woman) plan to do?
6.
What does the (man/woman) imply about?
7.
What is the (man's/woman's) problem ?
8.
What problem does the (man/woman) think the
(man/woman) has?
9.
What are the speakers talking about?
10. What does
the (man/woman) suggest that the (man/woman) do?
11. What does
the (man/woman) say about?
12. What does
the (man/woman) think about?
13. What had the
(man/woman) assumed about?
Example:
Directions
In Part A, you will hear short conversation between two speakers. At the end of each conversation a third voice will ask a question about waht was said. The question will be spoken just one time. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard. The on your answer sheet find the number of the problem and mark your answer.
In Part A, you will hear short conversation between two speakers. At the end of each conversation a third voice will ask a question about waht was said. The question will be spoken just one time. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard. The on your answer sheet find the number of the problem and mark your answer.
(Man)
: I am trying to find a book by author
Sterling Watson. Do you know where I should look?
(Woman)
: He's a fiction writer, isn't he? Log on to this
computer. Click on fiction, and then search by author name. See? Oh, he has
written quite a few books, although I've never heard of him.
(Man)
: His
books were never in the top ten, but I like his style. I took a class from him
at the University of Florida.
Narrator
: What does the
man say about Sterling Watson?
In the text book:
A. He
is required to read one of his books but does not like his writing.
B. He
has never read any of his works previously.
C. He
appreciates his writing style.
D. He
learned about his books from a computer.
Answer : (C)
He appreciates his writing style.
Keyword : I
like his style
Discussion : "His
books were never in the top, but I like his style" stated by the man, it was clear
that the author's books were never in the top ten but he liked them which meant
that the man appreciated the writer's writing .
Part B
In Part B, you will hear a long conversation / dialogue between two
people and each long conversation will be followed by several questions.
Tips And Tricks Answering Problem Part B:
1.
When
the narrator reads the instructions for PartB you should read the answer
choices at a glance then record them and estimate the theme of what will be the
conversation.
2.
When
listening to the conversation, you must know the theme / topic being discussed.
3.
Beware
of each question.
4.
Pay
attention to the conditions and situations that occur during the conversation,
namely concerning the place and time of conversation, what and who is
discussed.
The oral text of
each long conversation consists of 140 to 290 words and lasts about 40 to 80
seconds. The topic is more academic when compared to Part A and the material
speaks about history, science or university organizations, and sometimes you
need to pay attention to the information relating to the numbers contained in
this conversation. Here, you have about 12 seconds to answer several questions
in a long conversation.
After the long
conversation is over, you will hear several questions spoken once. The question
usually starts with question words, especially:
a. What (what/what is/what)
b. Why (why)
c. How (How/How, How)
d. Who (Who)
e. Where (Where, Where)
f. Whom (To/With Who)
Examples of questions that are often played in Part B include:
1. What is
the main topic of this conversation?
2. Where
does the conversation take place?
3. When did
it occur?
4. What will
the man probably do next?
5. How do
you buy a woman?
6. Who is
the guest speaker?
Example :
Directions
In Part B, you will hear longer conversations. After each conversation, you will be asked some questions. The conversations and questions will be spoken just one time. They will not be written out for you, so you will have to listen carefully in order to understand and remember what the speaker says.
In Part B, you will hear longer conversations. After each conversation, you will be asked some questions. The conversations and questions will be spoken just one time. They will not be written out for you, so you will have to listen carefully in order to understand and remember what the speaker says.
When you hear a question, read the
four possible answers in your test book and decide which one would be the best
answer to the question you have heard. Then, on your answer sheet, find the
number of the problem and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of
the answer you have chosen.
After reading
the instructions clearly, you will hear a long conversation followed by several
questions.
(Man) : I can't believe we have to read this entire
book by Monday.
(Woman) : Some
teachers think you have nothing else to do besides prepare for their class.
(Man) : Well,
my boss thinks the same thing about my job that it's the only thing I have to
do.
(Woman) : Oh, I
didn't know you were working. What do you do?
(Man) : I do
bookkeeping work for a small company on Saturdays. This weekend, I
have to prepare end of the quarter reports to give to the accountant on Monday.
(Woman) : You'd
better start reading soon.
Narrator : 1.
What does the man imply about the assignment?
2. What does the man imply about some teachers?
3. What does the woman suggest that the man do?
4. What does the man say about his work?
2. What does the man imply about some teachers?
3. What does the woman suggest that the man do?
4. What does the man say about his work?
In the
text book:
1. A.
It is too much to read in such a short time.
B. He has already read the material.
C. He can read at work.
D. The teacher knows that he has a job.
2. A. They are understanding.
B. They give thought-provoking assignments.
C. They act like taking their class is the only thing a student has to do.
D. They are unprepared.
3. A. Skip work
B. Begin work on the assignment as soon as possible
C. Quit the class
D. Stay up all night
4. A. He does manual labor.
B. He dislikes his job.
C. His employer is very understanding.
D. He works with figures.
B. He has already read the material.
C. He can read at work.
D. The teacher knows that he has a job.
2. A. They are understanding.
B. They give thought-provoking assignments.
C. They act like taking their class is the only thing a student has to do.
D. They are unprepared.
3. A. Skip work
B. Begin work on the assignment as soon as possible
C. Quit the class
D. Stay up all night
4. A. He does manual labor.
B. He dislikes his job.
C. His employer is very understanding.
D. He works with figures.
Answer and discussion:
1. Answer : (A) It is too
much to read in such a short time.
Keyword : can't believe.
Discussion : The
expression "can't believe" indicates that what is expressed is
something extraordinary / burdensome.
2. Answer :(C) They act like taking their class
is the only thing a student has to do.
Keyword : Some
teachers think you have nothing else to do besides prepare for their
class
Discussion : The
sentence on the keyword implies that the teacher does not care too much about
the busyness of the students, and the teachers think that these students only
attend their class.
3. Answer : (B)
Begin work on the assignment as soon as possible.
Keyword : You'd better start reading
soon.
Discussion : Kalimat
pada kata kunci mengindikasikan bahwa sebaiknya sang laki-laki segera memulai
pekerjaannya secepat mungkin.
4.
Answer : (D) He works with
figures.
Keyword : my boss thinks the same thing
about my job.
Discussion : From what the man said,
it can be concluded that he worked for someone else.
Part C
In Part C,
you will listen to a short lecture / talk and each short lecture will be
followed by a number of questions. Usually after a short lecture or talk, you will
hear 3 (three) to 7 (seven) questions.
Tips and Tricks Answering Problem Part C:
In Part C, you will listen to a short lecture (a short lecture / talk) and
each short lecture will be followed by a number of questions. In Part C, you
will hear oral texts, namely short lectures. Usually after a short lecture or
lecture, you will hear 3 (three) to 7 (seven) questions.
The oral text of each lecture consists of 140 to 290 words and lasts about
40 to 80 seconds. The topic is more academic when compared to Part A and the
material speaks about history, science, or university organizations, and
sometimes you need to pay attention to the relevant information with the
numbers contained in this conversation / lecture. Here, you have about 12
seconds to answer several questions in one lecture.
After the lecture is finished, you will hear a few questions spoken once.
The question usually starts with Question Words, especially:
• What (What
/ What is / What),
• How (How /
How, How),
• Where
(Where, Where),
• Why (Why)
• Who (Who),
and
• Whom (To /
With whom)
Examples of questions that are often heard in Part C include main ideas,
details, purpose, and implication:
1.
Question about
main idea
a.
What is the main idea of the talk?
b.
What is the talk mainly about?
c.
What are the speakers discussing?
d.
What would be a good title for the lecture?
2.
Question about
detail conversation
a.
What does the man/woman say about?
b.
What does the man/woman want?
c.
What does the man/woman suggest about?
d.
What is the man/woman describing?
3.
Question about
purpose.
a.
Why did?
b.
Why is?
c.
Why does the man/woman think?
d.
Why does the speaker mention?
4.
Question about
implication
a.
What does the speaker imply about?
b.
What does the speaker infer about?
c.
What does the man/woman mean when he/she says?
5.
Other
questions in this section can ask you to choose images, match questions, and
group answers according to categories. Example:
a.
You may be asked to pick out the correct drawing from
what was described in words.
b.
You may be asked to match two concepts together.
c.
You may be asked to determine the sequence of events.
d.
You may be
asked to categorize certain concepts.
Example:
Directions
In Part C, you will hear several talks. After each talk, you will be asked some questions. The talks and questions will be spoken just one time. They will not be written out for you, so you will have to listen carefully in order to understand and remember what the speaker says.
When you hear a question, read the four possible answers in your test book and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the problem and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.
In Part C, you will hear several talks. After each talk, you will be asked some questions. The talks and questions will be spoken just one time. They will not be written out for you, so you will have to listen carefully in order to understand and remember what the speaker says.
When you hear a question, read the four possible answers in your test book and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the problem and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.
After reading the instructions above, read the questions that followed. The
following are examples of TOEFL listening questions for Part C. Sound Script on
Part C
The reason
we're meeting today is to introduce the plan for our new office layout.
Starting next month, instead of cubicles, we will have an open office. There
will be no cubicle walls or partitions. Instead, desks will be arranged in
clusters for each department. The desks in each department will be facing each
other in clusters of four or six. We feel this will facilitate better
communication between workers in each departments. It will also create a more
welcoming environment for clients.
The
department managers will still have their own offices, but each will have large
windows and glass doors, to make employees and clients feel welcome to come
inside. We're also going to paint the walls and put in new carpeting. The
project will start on the first of next month and should take about three weeks
to complete. We will be moving to the third floor during that period.
Sound script by narrator:
1. What is the speaker mainly discussing ?
2. What does the speaker say about the new layout?
3. What is NOT true about plans for the office?
1. What is the speaker mainly discussing ?
2. What does the speaker say about the new layout?
3. What is NOT true about plans for the office?
In the
text book:
1. A. An office renovation
B. Building construction
C. A marketing campaign
D. New carpeting
2. A. The desks will be facing away from each other.
B. Department managers will sit in cubicles.
C. It will increase the number of sales to clients.
D. It will improve employee communication.
3. A. The walls will be painted.
B. New carpeting will be installed.
C. Work will begin next year.
D. The work will take three weeks.
B. Building construction
C. A marketing campaign
D. New carpeting
2. A. The desks will be facing away from each other.
B. Department managers will sit in cubicles.
C. It will increase the number of sales to clients.
D. It will improve employee communication.
3. A. The walls will be painted.
B. New carpeting will be installed.
C. Work will begin next year.
D. The work will take three weeks.
The right answer to the above questions is:
1.
Answer : (A) An office renovation
Keyword : our new office layout
Discussion: From the keyword it can be seen that the office will be renovated.
2.
Answer : (D) It will improve employee communication.
Keyword : will facilitate better communication
Discussion: The phrase "better communication" means the same as
"improve communication"
3.
Answer : (C) Work will begin next year.
Keyword : not true; start first of next month.
Discussion: Because the beginning of the following month and takes about three weeks,
so the incorrect statement is that work will begin next year.
References:
