That’s why the TOEFL exam includes a section that measures your listening comprehension skills.. While the reading comprehension passages on the TOEFL exam are gener-ally formal, the lis
Trang 16 The plumber did a complete estimate for us so that we would know exactly how much the
job would costed
D
a A
b B
c C
d D
7 Ginger sees her mother regularly She was healthy and strong, even though she is over 80 years old.
a A
b B
c C
d D
8 If the message was more detailed, I would have been able to understand it when I read it.
a A
b B
c C
d D
9 Half of the textile wall hangings were crooked, but each of the paintings were slightly askew.
a A
b B
c C
d D
10 Neither Sam nor James wanted their name associated with the project.
a A
b B
c C
d D
–S T R U C T U R E : G R A M M A R A N D S T Y L E –
Trang 211 The paper is on the dining room table.
a lying
b laying
c lain
d laid
12 I think you’re the one sent Rachna those flowers.
a did
b that
c which
d who
13 Less people attended the conference this year, even though there were more workshops and seminars
to choose from
D
a A
b B
c C
d D
14 This floor doesn’t need no more wax; there’s plenty already.
a A
b B
c C
d D
15 I really hope to the concert next week.
a to go
b going
c go
d goes
–S T R U C T U R E : G R A M M A R A N D S T Y L E –
Trang 316 I don’t have anything to wear because my luggage were lost somewhere between California
and Arizona
a A
b B
c C
d D
17 Please remember I am older than him and have more experience.
a A
b B
c C
d D
18 He is the opposite his twin sister in nearly every way.
a in
b from
c of
d to
19 Jamal read the letter .
a slow
b slowly
c in a slow manner
d with slowness
20 Ronnel told me that the letter from the attorney was short, curt, and it troubled him.
a A
b B
c C
d D
–S T R U C T U R E : G R A M M A R A N D S T Y L E –
Trang 4IT G O E S W I T H O U Tsaying that your success in college will depend heavily upon your ability to
under-stand what you hear As carefully as you may read your textbooks, handouts and other course mate-rial, you won’t do well if you don’t comprehend what is said in the classroom That’s why the TOEFL exam includes a section that measures your listening comprehension skills
T h e T O E F L E x a m L i s t e n i n g S e c t i o n : W h a t t o E x p e c t
The Listening Comprehension section tests your understanding of the kinds of conversations you might hear
on an American college campus While the reading comprehension passages on the TOEFL exam are gener-ally formal, the listening passages are often quite informal and heavily idiomatic They will typicgener-ally include
C H A P T E R
Listening Comprehension
Another key to your success in an American school is listening com-prehension How well can you understand what you hear? This chap-ter prepares you for the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL exam You will learn exactly what to expect from the exam, including important differences between the computer- and paper-based versions of the test You will also learn active listening strat-egies and how you can use them during the exam Finally, you will find tips for each kind of listening comprehension question and helpful practice exercises
4
Trang 5the greeting “What’s up?” in a reading comprehension passage But you might hear something of the sort in one of the passages on the listening test
On the actual exam, you will hear three types of recorded passages in this section:
■ short conversations (Part A on the paper-based exam)
■ longer conversations and class discussions (Part B)
■ mini-talks and lectures (Part C)
The passages are grouped in these three categories and presented in this order Thus, you will begin with short conversations (two people speaking), then move into longer conversations and class discussions (two
or more people speaking), and finish with a talk or lecture (one person speaking)
K i n d s o f L i s t e n i n g C o m p r e h e n s i o n Q u e s t i o n s
o n t h e T O E F L E x a m
You will be asked several different kinds of questions about the passages you hear in this section They can
be divided into the following categories (many of which are very similar to the kinds of questions you will see in the Reading Comprehension section of the exam):
1 Main topic of conversation These questions ask you to identify the main subject of the
conversa-tion—who or what the conversation is about Here’s an example:
Woman 1: What are the hours for the computer lab? There’s no sign on the door.
Woman 2: It’s open Monday through Friday, 9 A M to 9 P M , and weekends 10 to 6.
Question: What are the women talking about?
a the location of the computer lab
b when the computer lab is open
c the best time to use the computer lab
d weekend computer lab hours
Answer: b.
Tip: Make sure your answer is the main topic—the general subject or issue being discussed Keep in mind the
difference between a main topic and a main idea (see the next section) Remember that a main topic should
be somewhat general Do not choose an answer that refers to a specific fact or detail from the passage (such
as d.).
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ONCE again, there are some important differences between the listening sections of the new computer-based TOEFL exam and the old paper-based exam The kinds of passages remain the same, but you may be asked fewer questions about those passages on the computer-based test More important, the questions on the com-puter exam will be selected according to your level of proficiency As in the structure section, your first question will be “average” in difficulty The next question will be easier or harder, depending upon how you answered the first question The rest of the questions will follow this pattern.
The table below compares the listening sections of the two tests:
Source: Barron’s Passkey to the TOEFL ® , 4th ed., 2001.
Computer-Based Test vs Paper-Based Test
Computer-Based TOEFL Exam
30–50 questions
Questions are selected based upon your level of
proficiency.
Each test taker has a headset with adjustable volume.
The short conversations begin with a picture related to
the conversation The longer conversations and lectures
may include several pictures and visual cues.
The questions are read aloud on the audiotape and
appear on the computer screen.
You control the pace by choosing when to begin the
next conversation or lecture (A clock on the computer
screen will indicate how much time you have left for the
section.)
Some questions may have two answers.
Most questions are multiple-choice, but some may have
special directions, such as sequencing events.
Once you submit an answer, you may not change it.
Supplemental Paper-Based TOEFL Exam
50 questions (30 in Part A, 20 in Parts B and C) All test takers answer the same questions.
The test administrator plays an audiotape for all test takers.
There are no pictures or visual cues.
Test takers hear the questions only They are not written out.
All test takers proceed at the same pace and must complete the section within the allotted time You may not pause the tape.
Each question has only one answer.
All questions are multiple choice.
You may return to previous questions and change your answers.