Cracking the toefl ibt 2008 part 22

Then answer the cuestion Soluble...uh, | don’t have to explain that one to you, because the root's related to the word dissolve, right?. Answer choice B is tempting, but we have no way

‘e Answer choice (D) has the wrong tone Even if you're not exactly sure what the speaker is trying to say, you may be able to identify the selection as positive or negative, In this case, the selection is somewhat negative (“They'd save themselves some embarrassment”), but answer choice (D) is fairly positive So eliminate it

e We’re left with answer choice (B) as the correct answer

Let’s try it-again, this time with an inference question

6 Listen again to part of the discussion Then answer

the cuestion

Soluble uh, | don’t have to explain that one to you, because the root's related to the word dissolve, right?

[This will be heard on the audio only on the actual test.]

What did the professor imply?

(A) She is not sure about the origin of the word

(B) She has previously explained the meaning of the word

(C) The students should understand the meaning of the term

(D) She is using the term in an unusual way

This selection contains a good example of the negations we mentioned earlier when discussing transitions As used in this context, the word right means that the speaker assumes the students understand the topic without needing any further explanation We also have some POE options on this question

« Answer choice (A) is on the wrong topic The professor is addressing the students, not herself Eliminate this choice

224 MH CRACKING THE TOEFL

« Answer choice (D) has the wrong tone The professor is indicating that she doesn’t

“have to explain” the term, so it doesn’t make sense for her to use the term in an

unusual way and not explain it

® ‘That leaves answers (B) and (C) Answer choice (B) is tempting, but we have no

way of knowing whether it’s true; remember that on the TOEFL, we should be able

to support our inferences

¢ Therefore, answer choice (C):is the best answer

POE Strategies for Inference or Suggestion Questions

The three most important POE strategies for these questions are to pay attention to the following

types of answers:

1 Wrong topic: Stick to the topic Think about the main idea, and eliminate answers

that don’t relate to it, Also, eliminate answers that don’t make sense based on your

understanding of the selection

2, Wrong tone: Even if you're unsure of what the speaker is saying, you may be able

to figure out the tone Decide if the speaker is positive or negative toward the sub-

ject, and eliminate answers that don’t work

3 Extreme; Inference and suggestion questions often have extreme answer choices as

well, If you.see one, eliminate it

CRACKING THE LISTENING SECTION MM 225

Multiple Multiple-Choice Questions

These questions ask you to select more than one answer You must rely on knowledge of the main idea and the structure of the selection to answer them correctly Question 7 is an example

7 How are plants different from the oceans in the

way they absorb carbon dioxide?

(A) Plants never release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere

(B) The rate of absorption by plants can increase rapidly

(C) Plants immediately use what they absorb

(D) Plants do not convert carbon dioxide into other chemicals

As you can see, it’s important while you’re listening to try to understand the structure of the lecture This lecture involved a comparison and contrast between two ways carbon dioxide is absorbed

by nature You may remember that the professor hinted that some important information was about

to come when he said

“However—this is the interesting part—unlike the ocean, green plants soak up carbon dioxide

to use it—to make the energy they need to live and grow.”

Thus, we know that plants use the carbon dioxide they absorb Now, let’s use POE You may have noticed that both answer choice (A) and answer choice (C) contain extreme language Thus, as with other questions on the TOEFL, they‘re wrong So, even if you didn’t remember the exact differences mentioned in the talk, you can still get the question right

POE Strategies for Multiple Multiple-Choice Questions

Multiple multiple-choice questions are typically either detail questions or main idea questions, so use the same POE strategies provided earlier in this chapter

226 MH CRACKING THE TOEFL

Listening Practice Drills

You're now ready to crack the Listening section Remember to use the strategies and guidelines you’ve just learned in Chapter 8 Pay special attention to POE (Process of Elimination)—if you're stuck, get rid of as many bad answers as you can After you've finished, check your answers and look over the explanations provided in Chapter 10 Good luck!

DRILL #1: A CONVERSATION

Following is a transcript of a conversation between a male student (MS) and a female student (FS), similar to what you'll hear on the TOEFL On the actual test you will see screens similar to the ones shown below and in the pages that follow If possible, ask two friends to read it aloud to you, so you can practice your listening skills

228 MB CRACKING THE TOEFL

Male Student: | can’t believe it! Professor Blake gave me a C on my biology test,

Female Student: Of course he did You only answered &0 percent of the questions right

Next time, maybe you should consider studying without the television on

_ MS: But | wasn'twyatching it! | really was paying attention to my notes and the book

and stuff, !'m just the sort of person who needs white noise In the background

in order to concentrate—| mean, I’ usually good at biology;

FS; Oh? My sister says she’s like that

MS: Okay, so you know what | mean? If I'm in the middle of a quiet room, every little noise is distracting It's like it's magnified mean, amplified whatever Ifthe radiator starts making little noises—

FS: Boy, iow old is the heating system in these old dorm rooms, anyway, huh?

MS: Yeah, really? Or someone's having a conversation in the hall and it comes in through the door | just start fixating on it

LISTEWING PRACTICE DRILLS Mi 229

FS: | get that, but is it a good idea to use the television for white noise? Don't you get distracted if something funny comes on you know, or interesting?

MS: Sometimes, | guess But most of the time, | can focus just fine | think

FS: Uh, all right But, you know, though, um, you can use other things to drown out noises Like, my sister—|'m not making this up—she had an old fan, and it made kind of a hum when she ran it

MS: Those old fans do

FS: Right? A steady sound, rhythmic not loud and it turned out that if she put

it on, it was soft enough that she could think, and loud enough that the little distracting stuff in the background, like, she couldn't hear that

MS: | just bought my fan new this year; it's the quiet kind

FS: Well, sure | was, you know, just giving an example In our psychology course last year, didn’t they say that tuning the radio in fo static is okay too? For people who need white noise, | mean?

MS: Static on the radio? You know the hissing sound that makes! I'll never get any work done!

FS; That's if you have it at normal volume With trial and error, you might be able

to make it softer so it doesn’t annoy you but loud enough to drown out other

stuff—

MS: Uh-huh, FS: —like my sister's fan

MS: | guess

FS: It has to be better than the television Just look at that biology score again

MS: Don't make me, please Yeah, | mean, you may be right I'll see how it works studying without the television

FS: Ooh, something else | just thought of

MS: What?

FS: Well, you were talking about the radiator, and | think ] don’t remember which class it was, but we were told that people find it harder to concentrate when they’re in a warm room It helps if the temperature’s a little on the cool side

Sharpens your concentration

MS: | do get drowsy when the radiator’s on full blast, but the radiators in our rooms aren't very easy to, uh, control it's not surprising after they've been used so many years, but—

FS: I’m with you there You could always try cracking the window, though Or maybe wearing fewer layers of clothing It might be a little uncomfortable, but

it's your grades we're talking about, after all

230 MB CRACKING THE TOEFL

1 What is the man’s problem?

(A) Hewas unable to concentrate during the biology test

(B) He has a hard time understanding biology

(C) He is distracted by ncise while studying

(D) His television is broken

2, What has the man been using to create white

noise?

(A) A radio

(B) The noise from the radiator (C) A television

(D} Afan

LISTENING PRACTICE DRILLS MB 231

Now, ask one of your friends to repeat part of the lecture below, which is what the actual TOEFL will do

Male Student: | just bought my fan new this year; it's the quiet kind

Female Student: Wall, sure ) was, you know, just giving an example

3 What did the woman mean by this?

(A) She misunderstood the nature of the man's problem

(B) She was not specifically recommending the use of a fan

(C) She thought the man had a different kind of fan

(DỊ She has a fan the man can use

4, Why does the woman suggest the man keep his

window oper?

(A) He can be comfortable in less clothing

(B) The air fram the far may be too warm

(C) The noise from outside will halp him concentrate

(D) People study better in cool rooms

5 What do the speakers imply is the major problem with the heating system?

(A) Its sontrols are confusing

(B) lt is very old

(C) The noise it makes is too loud to drawn out

(DỊ It doesn't heat the rooms effectively

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DRILL #2: A CONVERSATION

Listen to Track 2 on the CD-ROM Then answer the following questions

1 Why is the woman speaking ta the man?

(A) (B) (C) (D)

She wants the results of her allergy test, She is supposed to receive an injection

She needs to set up an appointment

She cannot decide which test to use

LISTENING PRACTICE DRILLS Mi 233