The TOEFL Listening
Comprehension Test aims to test your ability to understand spoken language.
However, to be able 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 English language structure (grammar). 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.
Understand pressure and tone,
2.
Understand the difference in sound
3.
Understand idioms in English,
4.
Understand conversation phrases,
5.
Understand groups or verb phrases,
6.
Find implied information (not clearly stated),
7.
Understand comparison, and
8.
Understand the meaning / content of a conversation or conversation.
TIP
AND TRICKS ANSWERING PRIVATE LISTENING COMPEHENSION
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.
STRUCTURE
OF TOEFL LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST PROBLEMS
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.
On
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.
TIP
AND TRICKS ANSWERING PROBLEM 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 (agreement), uncertainty
(uncertainty), suggestion (suggestion), surprise (shock), idiomatic expression,
and situation when the conversation is done.
A. Each
question starts with question words, especially:
1.
What (What / What is / What);
2.Where
(Where or Where);
3.When
(when).
B. NEVER
ONCE questions start with:
1.Why
(Why);
2.Which
(Which);
3.Who
(Who / Who is);
4.How
(How / How).
Part
A . Listen to an example.
On the recording, you hear:
(man) That exam was just awful.
(woman) Oh, it could have been worse.
(narrator) What does the woman mean?
In your test book, you read:
(A)
The exam was really awful.
(B)
It was the worst exam she had ever seen.
(C)
It couldn't have been more difficult.
(D)
It wasn't that hard.
You learn from the conversation that the
man thought the exam was very difficult and that the
woman disagreed with the man. The best
answer to the question, "What does the woman mean?" is
(D), "It wasn't that hard."
Therefore, the correct choice is (D).
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.
TIP 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 d. 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 a few
questions in a long conversation.
After
a long conversation is over, you will hear a few questions spoken once. The
question usually starts with question words, especially:
1. What
(What / What is / What
2. Why
(Why)
3. How
(How / How, How)
4. Who
(Who)
5. Where
(Where, Where
6. Whom
(To / With Who)
Part B. Example :
(narrator) Listen to
a conversation on a university campus.
(man) You
seem to know your way around campus. Have you been here long?
(woman) I'm a
senior literature major. I'll be graduating next June.
(man) Your major is
literature? Mine is, too. But I'm just beginning my work in my major. I just
transferred to this university from a junior college. Perhaps you could tell me
about the courses you've got to take for a literature major.
(woman) Well, for a literature
major you need to take eight courses, three required courses and five
electives. First, you have to take "Survey of World Literature, Parts One
and Two." This is really two courses, and it'll take two semesters, and
it's required for all literature majors. The other course required for all
literature majors is "Introduction to Literary Analysis."
(man) You mean,
if I want to specialize in American literature, I still must take two semesters of World literature?
(woman) Yes, because the two semesters are required for all
literature majors.
(man) But I only want to study American literature!
(woman) At least you can take all of your five elective
courses in the area that you want.
(man) That's what I'll do, then.
1.
WHAT IS THE WOMAN'S
STATUS AT THE UNIVERSITY?
2.
WHAT DOES THE MAN WANT TO LEARN FROM THE
WOMAN?
3.
HOW MANY TOTAL
COURSES MUST A STUDENT TAKE FOR A LITERATURE MAJOR?
4.
THE MAN WILL
PROBABLY TAKE HIS ELECTIVE COURSES IN WHICH AREA?
PART C
In
Part C, you will listen to a short lecture (a short lecture / talk) and each
short mah will be followed by a number of questions. Usually after Jek's
lecture or lecture, you will hear 3 (three) to 7 (seven) questions.
TIP AND TRICKS ANSWERING PROBLEM
PART C
1. If
you have time, look at the answer choices listed on the question sheet and find
the keywords.
2. Be
aware of the conversation in the first sentence because it will usually be the
topic for the following sentences.
3. Focus
your hearing on things related to 5W questions (what, who, when, where, why)
and How.
4. Make
conclusions / inferitions for the situation that occurred when the conversation
was held.
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 and one lecture.
After
the lecture is finished, you will hear a few questions spoken once. The
question usually starts with Question Words, especially:
1. What
(what / what is / what),
2. How
(How / How, How),
3. Where
(Where, Where),
4. Why
(why)
5. Who
(Who),
6. Whom
(To / With whom)
Part C. Example :
(narrator) Listen to a welcome address by a member of a club.
(woman) Welcome to this introductory meeting for new members
of the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is an organization whose goals are centered
on the protection of the environment. It was founded in 1892 in San Francisco
by naturalist John Muir, who was intent on preserving the natural beauty and
harmony of the Sierra Nevadas in eastern California. Today the Sierra Club
boasts almost 200,000 members in all fifty states of the United States. Through
activities such as conferences, lectures, exhibits, and films, the organization
works to continue the effort begun by John Muir. The Sierra Club also publishes
a weekly newsletter, a bimonthly magazine, and various books.
1.
WHAT IS THE MAIN
OBJECTIVE OF THE SIERRA CLUB?
2.
APPROXIMATELY HOW LONG HAS THE SIERRA CLUB BEEN
IN EXISTENCE?
3.
WHAT AREA WAS JOHN
MUIR ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN SAVING?
4.
WHERE DOES THE
SIERRA CLUB HAVE MEMBERS?
