TOEFL PBT Test

About PBT (Paper Based Test)

The TOEFL Test is a test to measure the English proficiency of nonnative speakers
of English. It is required primarily by English language college and universities.
Additionally, institutions such as government agencies, businesses, or scholarship
programs may require this test. The TOEFL test currently exists in paper, computer and
internet formats. The Purpose of this book is to prepare students for the paper version of
the TOEFL test.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST

The paper version of the TOEFL Test recently has the following sections:

1. Listening Comprehension: To demonstrate their ability to understand spoken

English, examines must listen to various types of passages on a recording and
respond to multiply choice questions about passages.
2. Structure and Written Expression: To demonstrate their abilities to recognize
grammatically correct English, examinees must either choose the correct answer way
to complete sentences or find errors in sentences.
3. Reading Comprehension: To demonstrate their ability to understand written
English, examinees must answer multiply choice questions about the ideas and
the meanings of words in reading passages.
4. Test of Written English (TWE): a separate test to measure a student's ability
to write an essay on a given topic.

The probable format of a paper TOEFL test is outlined below.

Listening Comprehension

The first section of the TOEFL test is the Listening Comprehension section. This
section consists of fifty questions (some tests may be longer). You will listen to recorded
materials and respond to questions about the material. You must listen carefully, because
you will hear the recording one time only, and the material on the recording is not written
in your test book.
There are three parts in the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL test:

1. Part A consists of thirty short conversations, each followed by a question. You must
choose the best answer to each question from the four choices in your test book.
2. Part B consists of two longer conversations, each followed by a number of questions.
You must choose the best answer to each question from the four choices in your test
book.
3. Part C consists of three talks, each followed by a number of questions. You must
choose the best answer to each question from the four choices in your test book.

Below is the general strategy for Listening Comprehension Section for part A, part B
and part C.

1. Be familiar with the directions. The directions on every TOEFL test are the same, so
it is not necessary to listen carefully to them each time. You should be completely
familiar with the directions before the day of the test.
2. Listen carefully to the conversations and talks. You should concentrate fully on what
the speakers are saying on the recording because you will hear the recording one time
only.
3. Know where the easier and more difficult questions are generally found. Within each
part of the Listening Comprehension section, the questions generally progress from
easy to difficult.
4. Never leave any questions blank on your answer sheet. Even if you are unsure of the
correct response, you should answer the question. There is no penalty for guessing.
5. Use any remaining time to look ahead at the answers to the questions that follow.
When you finish with one question, you may have time to look ahead at the answers
to the next question.

Listening Part A: Short Dialogue

Listening Part A or Short Dialogue is the first part of Listening Comprehension Section.
There are thirtyquestions in this part. For each of the thirty questions in Part A of
the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL test, you will hear a short
conversation between two speakers followed by a question. The conversations
and questions are not written in your test book. After you listen to the conversation and
question, you must choose the best answer to the question from your test book.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(man) : I need a car to drive to Arizona, and I dont have one.
(woman) ; Why not rent one ?
(narrator) : What does the woman suggest ?
In your test book, you read:

(A) Getting a red car.

(B) Renting an apartment in Arizona.
(C) Not driving to Arizona.
(D) Renting a car for the trip.

Answer (D) is the best answer to the question. Why not rent one? is a suggestion that
he rent a car for his trip to Arizona.

Below is the strategy for listening Part A.

1. As you listen to each short conversation, focus on the second line of the
conversation. The answer to the question is generally found in the second line of the
conversation.

2. Keep in mind that the correct answer is probably a restatement of a key word or idea in
the second line of the conversation. Think of possible restatements of the second line of
the conversation.

3. Keep in mind that certain structures and expressions are tested regularly in Listening
Part A. Listen for these structures and expressions:

restatements
negatives
suggestions
passives
conclusions about who and where
expressions of agreement

4. Keep in mind that these questions generally progress from easy to difficult. This means
that questions 1 through 5 will be the easiest questions and questions 26 through 30 will he
the hardest questions.

5. Read the answers and choose the best answer to each question. Remember to answer
each question even if you are not sure of the correct response. Never leave any answers
blank.

6. Even if you do not understand the complete conversation, you can find the correct
answer.

If you only understood a few words or ideas in the second line, choose the
answer that contains a restatement of those words or ideas.
 If you did not understand anything at all in the second line of the conversation,
choose the answer that sounds the most different from what you heard.
Never choose an answer because it sounds like what you heard in the conversation.

Listening Part A or short dialogue has 6 skills and the skills will help you to implement
these strategies in Part A of the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL test.

1. Skill 1 : Restatement
2. Skill 2 : Negative
3. Skill 3 : Suggestions
4. Skill 4 : Passives
5. Skill 5 : Who and Where
6. Skill 6 : Agreement

Each skill includes:

Explanation
Example
Exercise
TOEFL Exercise, and
TOEFL Review Exercise

Skill 1: Restatement

Often the correct answer in Listening Part A is an answer that contains a restatement of
the ideas in the second line of the conversation.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(woman) : Steve, is something the matter? You dont look veiy good.
(man) : Oh, Im feeling a little sick today.
(narrator) : What does the man mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Hes not very good-looking.

(B) Hes a bit ill.
(C) He looks worse than he feels.
(D) His feet are a little thick.
In this conversation, sick means ill, and a little means a bit. The best answer to this
question is therefore answer (B) because answer (B) restates the idea in the second line of
the dialogue. Please note that answer (D) is definitely not a correct answer because it
contains feet instead of feel and thick instead of sick. These words are similar in sound but
not in meaning to the words that you hear on the recording.

THE BEST STRATEGY: CHOOSE ANSWERS WITH RESTATEMENTS

As you listen to the second line of the conversation, you should focus on the key
idea(s) in that line.
If you see a restatement of the key idea(s) in a particular answer, then you have
probably found the correct answer.
Do not choose answers with words that sound similar to the words on the recording.

EXERCISE 1: In this exercise, underline the key idea(s) in the second line of each short
conversation. Then underline restatements of these key words in the answers, and choose
the best answer to each question. Remember that the best answer is probably the
answer that contains a restatement of the key idea(s) in the second line of the conversation.

1. (woman) : What do you like about your new house?

(man) : Its very close to a park.
(narrator): What does the man mean?

(A).The house is closed up now.

(B) He parks his car close to his house.
(C) His home is near a park.
(D) He doesnt really like his new house.

2. (man) : Mark said some really nice things to me.

(woman) : Hes very grateful for what you did.
(narrator): What does the woman say about Mark?

(A) He did a great job.

(B) He bought a crate full of fruit.
(C) He made a great fool of himself. Hes thankful.
(D) Hesthankful.

3. (woman) : Sam, youve been working at the computer for hours.

(man) : Yes, and I need to take a break.
(narrator): What does the man mean?
 (A) The computers broken.
(B) He needs to relax for a while.
(C) He should keep working.
(D) Hes broke.

Skill 2: Negative
Negative expressions are very common in Listening Part A. The most common kind of
correct response to a negative statement is a positive statement containing a word with an
opposite meaning.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(woman) : Did you get a lot of work done at the library today?
(man) : I couldnt. It wasnt very quiet there.
(narrator) : What does the man mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) The library was noisy

(B) He got a lot done.
(C) He couldnt quite get to the library today.
(D) The librarys a good place to work because its quiet.

The correct answer is answer (A). If it was not quiet in the library, this means that it was
noisy. Notice that the correct answer uses noisy, the opposite of quiet.

The following chart shows how negatives can be tested on the TOEFL test.
EXERCISE 2: In this exercise, underline the negative expression in the second line of
each short conversation. Then read the question, and choose the best answer to that
question. Remember that the best answer is one that uses an opposite meaning.

On the recording, you hear:

1. (woman) : You made so many mistakes in this homework.

(man) : I wasnt very careful.
(narrator): What does the man mean?

(A) He was rather careless.

(B) He does not care about mistakes.
(C) He took care of the work at home.
(D) He did not carry the work home.

2. (man) : Is there a lot of soup? Im kind of hungry.

(woman) : Sorry, theres not a lot.
(narrator): What does the woman mean?

(A) Theres not very much soap.

(B) She doesnt like soup.
(C) Theres only a little soup.
(D) The man should not be hungry.

3. (woman) : How was the weather on your trip?

(man) : There wasnt a cloud in the sky.
(narrator): What does the man mean?

(A) It was cloudy.

(B) He couldnt see the sky
(C) It wasnt very crowded.
(D) There was a lot of sunshine.
Skill 3: Sugesstion
Suggestions are common in Listening Part A, so you should become familiar with them.
The following example shows an expression of a suggestion.
(Indonesian Version)

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(man) : I havent talked with my parents in a while.

(woman) : Why dont you call them now?
(narrator) : What does the woman suggest?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Calling off his visit.

(B) Talking about his parents.
(C) Calling his parents in a while.
(D) Phoning his family.

In this example, the expression why dont is an expression of suggestion, so the womans
suggestion is to call them. This means that the woman suggests phoning his family. The
best answer is therefore answer (D).

The following chart lists common expressions that show suggestion.

EXERCISE 3: In this exercise, underline the expression of suggestion in each short

conversation. Then read the question, and choose the best answer to that question.
Remember that the best answer is one that gives a suggestion.
On the recording you hear:

1. (man) : The weathers so beautiful today.

(woman) : Lets walk to school instead of driving.
(narrator) : What does the woman suggest?

(A) Taking the car to school.

(B) Taking a walk instead of going to school.
(C) Going for a drive in the beautiful weather.
(D) Walking to class. (Answer)

On the recording you hear:

2. (woman) : I never have enough spending money.

(man) : Why not get a part-time job?
(narrator) : What does the man suggest?

(A) Spending less money.

(B) Doing a better job at work.
(C) Earning some money. (Answer)
(D) Spending less time at her job.

On the recording you hear:

3. (man) : We dont have any planstonight, do we?

(woman) : No, so why dont we invite some friends over to dinner?
(narrator) : What does the womansuggest?

(A) Having a dinner party. (Answer)

(B) Stopping the fight with their friends.
(C) Planning a trip.
(D) Making some new friends.
Skill 4: Passives
It is sometimes difficult to understand who or what is doing the action in a passive
sentence. This problem is often tested in Listening Part A.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(man) : Is that a new chair?

(woman) : Yes, we just bought it last week.
(narrator) : What does the woman mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) She brought the chair with her.

(B) The chair was lost for a week.
(C) The chair was purchased recently.
(D) She bought the last chair from the store.

In this conversation, the woman uses an active idea, we. . . bought it [ the chair]. The
correct answer uses the passive idea the chair was purchased. Therefore, the best answer
to the question above is answer (C).

You should note the following about passive sentences in Listening Part A.

PASSIVE STATEMENTS

1. If the conversation contains a passive statement, the answer to the question is often an
active statement.
2. If the conversation contains an active statement, the answer to the question is often a
passive statement.

EXERCISE 4: In this exercise, each of the correct answers is either a passive restatement
of an active sentence or an active restatement of a passive sentence. Read the
short conversation, and underline the key active or passive statement. Then read the
question, and choose the best answer to the question. Make sure you understand who or
what is doing the action in these passive sentences.
1. (man) : What happened to your notebook?
(woman) : I left it in the cafeteria.
(narrator) : What does the woman imply?

(A) The cafeteria is to the left.

(B) She left a note on the cafeteria door.
(C) She took some notes in the cafeteria.
(D) The notebook was left in the cafeteria.

2. (man) : When are we going to talk about the problem with the copy machine?
(woman) : It will be discussed at the meeting tomorrow.
(narrator) : What does the woman mean?

(A) She needs to make copies before the meeting.

(B) They will talk about the problem tomorrow.
(C) It is a problem to have a meeting.
(D) They must discuss whether or not to have a meeting.

3. (woman) : Did you correct the paper?

(man) : I checked every single line again and again.
(narrator) : What does the man mean?

(A) The paper has been thoroughly corrected.

(B) He wrote many of the lines over and over.
(C) The checkmarks were on every line of the paper.
(D) He wrote a check for the paper.

Skill 5: Who and Where

It is common in Listening Part A to ask you to draw some kind of conclusion. In this type
of question the answer is not clearly stated; instead you must draw a conclusion based on
clues given in the conversation.

WHO

One kind of conclusion that is common in this part of the test is to ask you to
determine who the speaker is, based on clues given in the conversation.

Example
On the recording, you hear:
(man) : What do you do during your performances?
(woman) : I play the piano and sing.
(narrator) : Who is the woman most likely to be?

In your test book, you read:

(A) An athlete.
(B) A member of the audience.
(C) A clerk in a music store.
(D) A musician

The clues performances, piano, and sing in the conversation tell you that the woman is
probably a musician.Answer (D) is therefore the correct answer.

WHERE
Another type of conclusion that is common in Listening Part A is to determine where the
conversation probably takes place, based on clues given in the conversation.

Example
On the recording, you hear:

(man) : Id like to open an account, please.

(woman) : What type of account would you like, a checking or savings account.
(narrator) : Where does this conversation probably take place?

In your test book, you read:

(A) In an accounting class.

(B) In a bank.
(C) At a service station.
(D) In a market.

The clue checking or savings account in the conversation tells you that this conversation
probably takes place in a bank. Answer (B) is therefore the correct answer.

The following outlines the key point that you should remember about this type of question.

CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHO AND WHERE

It is common for you to be asked to draw the following conclusions in Listening Part A:
1. Who is probably talking?

2. Where does the conversation probably take place?

EXERCISE 5

In this exercise, read the short conversation and question, underline the clues that help you
answer the question, and then choose the best answer. You will have to draw conclusions
about who and where.

1. (man) : Id like to mail this package, please.

(woman) : First or second class?
(narrator) : Who is the woman most likely to be?

(A) A school administrator.

(B) A postal worker.
(C) A banker.
(D) A teacher.

2. (woman) : How much are the flowers?

(man) : Ten dollars a bouquet.
(narrator) : Where does this conversation probably take place?

(A) In a bakery
(B) In a grocery store.
(C) In a florist shop.
(D) In a garden.

3. (man) : I need to get this prescription filled.

(woman) : If youll take a seat, Ill have your medicine ready for you in a moment.
(narrator): Who is the woman most likely to be?

(A) A pharmacist.
(B) A baby-sitter.
(C) A flight attendant.
(D) A doctor
Skill 6: Agreement
Expressions of agreement are common in Listening Part A, so you should become
familiar with them. The following example shows agreement with a positive statement.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(man) : I thought that the meal was overpriced.

(woman) : Me, too
(narrator) : What does the woman mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) There were too many spices in the meat.

(B) She has the same opinion of the meal as the man.
(C) She wants to share the mans meal.
(D) The price of the meal was great.

The expression me, too shows agreement with a positive statement, so the woman means
that she has the same opinion as the man. The best answer is therefore answer (B).

The following chart lists common expressions that show agreement.

You should become familiar with these expressions.

EXERCISE 6: In this exercise, underline the expression of agreement in each short

conversation. Then read the question, and choose the best answer to that question.
Remember that the best answer is one that shows agreement.

1. (woman) : This homework is going to take forever.

(man) : Ill say!
(narrator) : What does the man mean?
(A) Its going to take forever to get home.
(B) It takes a long time to get from home to work.
(C) He and the woman have the same opinion about the homework.
(D) He needs to take the homework to class.
2. (woman) : A trip to the park might be nice,
(man) : You can say that again!
(narrator) : What does the man mean?

(A) The woman should repeat what she said.

(B) Its nice in the park at night.
(C) The woman should tell him about part of the trip.
(D) He agrees about the trip to the park

3. (man) : I think its time to go home.

(woman) : So do I.
(narrator) : What does the woman mean?

(A) They dont have time to do it.

(B) She also thinks its a good idea to leave.
(C) She thinks they are at home.
(D) They are unsure about the time.

Part B of the Listening Comprehension section (Longer

Comprehension)
Part B of the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL test consists of two long
conversations, each followed by a number of questions. You will hear the conversations
and the questions on a recording; they are not written in your test book. You must choose
the best answer to each question from the four choices that are written in your test book.

The conversations are often about some aspect of school (how difficult a class is, how to
write a research paper, how to register for a course) or about general living (renting an
apartment, playing sports, going to the bank). The conversations can also be about topics
currently in the news in the United States (desalination of the water supply, recycling of
used products, damage from a storm or some other type of natural phenomenon).

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) Questions 1 through 4. Listen to a conversation between two people who

are decorating an apartment.
(woman) : Hey, Walt. Do you think you could help me hang these pictures on the wall?
There are only two of them.

(man) : Sure, Monica. Where do you want them to go?

(woman) : Id like the picture of the mountains over the fireplace, and Id like the picture
of my family over the sofa What do you think?

(man) : I think theyll look fine there. How about if you hold the pictures while I
hammer the nails into the wall?

(woman) : Okay. Lets start with the picture of my family.

Questions:

1. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) What are the man and woman discussing?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Taking some pictures.

(B) Hanging some plants.
(C) Taking a trip to the mountains.
(D) Putting some pictures on the wall

2. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) How many pictures are there?

In your test book, you read:

(A) One.
(B) Two.
(C) Three.
(D) Four.

3. On the recording, you sear:

(narrator) Where is the picture of the womans family going?

In your test book, you read:

 (A) In the fireplace.
(B) Above the sofa
(C) Home with Walt.
(D) To the top of the mountain.

4. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) What is Walt probably going to do next?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Sit on the sofa.

(B) Photograph Monicas family.
(C) Hammer the nails into the wall

(D) Climb the walls.

Analysis:

The first question asks what the man and woman are discussing. Since the woman
asks the man to help hang these pictures on the wall, the best answer to this question
is answer (D), putting some pictures on the wall.
The second question asks how many pictures there are, and the woman clearly says
that there are two, so the best answer is answer (B).
The third question asks where the family picture is going. The woman says that she
would like the family picture over the sofa, so the best answer to this question is
answer (B), above the sofa.
The last question asks what Walt is probably going to do. Walt has suggested that he
should hammer the nails into the wall, so the best answer is answer (C).

STRATEGIES FOR THE LISTENING PART B QUESTIONS

1. If you have the time, preview the answers to the Listening Part B questions.

While you are looking at the answers, you should try to anticipate the questions for each
of the groups of answers.

2. Listen carefully to the first line of the conversation.

The first line of the conversation often contains the main idea, subject, or topic of the
conversation, and you will often be asked to answer such questions.
3. As you listen to the conversation, follow along with the answers in your test book,
and try to determine the correct answers.
Detail questions are generally answered in order in the conversation, and the answers often
sound the same as what is said on the recording.

4. You should guess even if you are not sure. Never leave any answers blank.

5. Use any remaining time to look ahead at the answers to the questions that follow.

Listening Part B: Question (Skill 7)

It is very helpful to your ability to answer individual questions in Listening Part B if you
can anticipate what the questions will be and listen specifically for the answers to those
questions.

In this example, you can be quite certain that one of the questions will be about when
something will happen. Since you are sure that this is one of the questions, you can listen
carefully for clues that will give you the answer. This example shows that a helpful
strategy therefore is to look briefly at the answers in the test book, before you actually hear
the conversations on the recording, and try to determine the questions that you will be
asked to answer.

EXERCISE 7: Study the following answers and try to determine what the questions will
be. (You should note that perhaps you will only be able to predict part of a question, rather
than the complete question.) If you cannot predict the question in a short period of time,
then move on to the next group of answers. Question 1 has been answered for you.
1. Question: What.....................................................?

(A) What the assignment is.

(B) How good the professor is.
(C) The information in Chapter Six.
(D) What questions they should ask the professor.

2. Question:.............................................................?

(A) Six pages.

(B) Six chapters.
(C) Sixty pages.
(D) The sixth chapter.

3. Question:............................................................?

(A) Whether or not they should i the chapters.

(B) Whether or not they should answer the questions.
(C) Which chapters they should read.
(D) When the professor gave the assignment.

4. Question: ...........................................................?

(A) Turn in the assignment.

(B) See the professor.
(C) Go to class.
(D) Talk to a classmate.

5. Question: ......................................................?

(A) A bees stung him.

(B) He saw some bees and hornets.
(C) He was stung by a hornet.
(D) He took some eggs from a nest.

6. Question: ...................................................?

(A) To liberate bees.

(B) To protect their nests.
(C) To hatch their eggs.
(D) To defend the park.
7. Question: ................................................?

(A) A hornets nest.

(B) Some bees eggs.
(C) A parked car.
(D) A swarm of bees.

8. Question: ................................................?

(A) To stay indoors.

(B) To see where the hornets nest is located.
(C) Not to walk in the same location as Greg.
(D) To keep away from Greg.

9. Question: ................................................?

(A) The size of the campus.

(B) The city bus system.
(C) The length of time for each class.
(D) The university bus system.

10. Question: ..............................................?

(A) The entire campus.

(B) Part of the campus.
(C) The campus and the city.
(D) Only the off-campus areas.

11. Question: .............................................?

(A) Nothing.
(B) Three dollars.
(C) A few cents.
(D) Fifty cents.

12. Question: ..............................................?

(A) Red.
(B) Green.
(C) Yellow.
(D) Blue.
Listening Part B: Topics (Skill 8)
As you listen to each conversation in Listening Part B, you should be thinking about the
topic (subject) or main idea for each conversation. Since the first one or two sentences
generally give the topic, you should be asking yourself what the topic is while you are
listening carefully to the first part of the conversation.

EXERCISE 8: Listen to the first part of each of the conversations, and decide on the topic
of each conversation.

Now BEGIN THE RECORDING AT EXERCISE 8.

1. What is the topic of Conversation 1?

2. What is the topic of Conversation 2?

3. What is the topic of Conversation 3?

Answer:

1. the assignment for class

2. that Greg was stung by a hornet

3. the university shuttle bus system

Listening Part B: The Order of the Answer (Skill 9)
The answers in Listening Part B are generally found in order in the conversation. This
means that as you listen to the conversation, you should be thinking about the answers to
the questions in the order that they are listed in the test book.

When you read the answers to the first question, you can anticipate that the first question is
about a man and some type of problem he has. As you listen, you hear the man say that he
is lost. Therefore, you can anticipate that the best answer to the first question will be
answer (B).

When you read the answers to the second question, you can anticipate that the second
question is going to ask where something is. In the conversation, the woman explains that
Stanfield Hall is on the other side of the university. Therefore, as you are listening you can
anticipate that the correct answer to the second question is answer (D).
EXERCISE 9: Listen to each complete conversation, and answer the questions that follow.

Now BEGIN THE RECORDING AT EXERCISE 9.

1. (A) What the assignment is.

(B) How good the professor is.

(C) The information in Chapter Six.

(D) What questions they should ask the professor.

2. (A) Six pages.

(B) Six chapters.

(C) Sixty pages.

(D) The sixth chapter.

3. (A) Whether or not they should read the chapters.

(B) Whether or not they should answer the questions.

(C) Which chapters they should read.

(D) When the professor gave the assignment.

4. (A) Turn in the assignment.

(B) See the professor.

(C) Go to class.

(D) Talk to a classmate.

5. (A) A bee stung him.

(B) He saw some bees and hornets.

(C) He was stung by a hornet.

(D) He took some eggs from a nest.

6. (A) To liberate bees.

(B) To protect their nests.

(C) To hatch eggs.

(D) To defend the park.

7. (A) A hornets nest.

(B) Some bees eggs.

(C) A parked car.

(D) A swarm of bees.

8. (A) To stay indoors.

(B) To see where the hornets nest is located.

(C) Not to walk in the same location as Greg.

(D) To keep away from Greg.

9. (A) The size of the campus.

(B) The city bus system.

(C) The length of time for each class.

(D) The university bus system.

10. (A) The entire campus.

(B) Part of the campus.

(C) The campus and the city.

(D) Only the off-campus areas.

11. (A) Nothing.

(B) Three dollars.

(C) A few cents.

(D) Fifty cents.

12. (A) Red.

(B) Green.

(C) Yellow.

(D) Blue.
Listening Part C: Talks
Part C of the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL test consists of three talks,
each followed by a number of questions. You will hear the talks and the questions on
a recording; they are not written in your test book. You must choose the best answer to
each question from the four choices that are written in you test book. Like the
conversations in Listening Part B, the talks are often about some aspect of school life or
topics currently in the news. It is also very common for the talks to be shortened versions
of lectures from courses taught in American colleges and universities.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) : Questions 1 through 4. Listen to a lecture in a history class.

(woman) : Salt, which today seems so plentiful to us, in the past used to be a valuable
commodity. In the ancient past in China, salt was used to make coins and in parts of Africa
it was traded in place of money. In the Roman Empire, soldiers were not paid in money
but were instead paid in salt. In fact, the English word salary, which means the amount
of money that one earns, comes from the Latin root for salt.

Questions:

1. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) What is the topic of the talk?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Valuable commodities.

(B) Salt.
(C) Ancient China.
(D) Money.

2. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) What was salt used for in China?

In your test book, you read:

(A) To spice food.

(B) To build houses.
(C) To make coins
(D) To locate Africa.
3. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) What does salary mean in English?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Coins.
(B) Earnings
(C) Soldiers.
(D) Commodities.

4. On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) What is the meaning of the root sal in Latin?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Salt.
(B) Rome.
(C) Money.
(D) Trade.

Analysis:
The first question asks about the topic of the talk. The speaker begins with salt and
continues to talk about it throughout the passage, so the best answer is answer (B).
The second question asks about the use of salt in China. The speaker says that in
China, salt was used to make coins, so the best answer is answer (C).
The third question asks the meaning of salary. The speaker says that salary means the
amount of money that one earns, so the best answer is answer (B).
The last question asks about the meaning of the root sal. The speaker says that
salary.. comes fromthe Latin root for salt, so the best answer is answer (A).

Listening Part C: The Question (Skill 10)

It is very helpful to your ability to answer individual questions in Listening Part C if you
can anticipate what thequestions will be and listen specifically for the answers to those
questions (as you did in Listening Part B).

Example

In your test book, you read:

(A) For a week
(B) Since yesterday
(C) For two days
(D) Since 10:00 this morning
You try to anticipate the question:

How long has (something) been going on?

Analysis:

In this example, you can be quite certain that one of the questions will be
about how long something has been going on. Since you are sure that this is one
of the questions, you can listen carefully for clues that will give you the answer.

This example shows that a helpful strategy in Listening Part C (just as in Listening
Part B) therefore is to look briefly at the answers in the test book, before you
actually hear the talks on the recording, and try to determine the questions that you
will be asked to answer.

EXERCISE 10: Study the following answers and try to determine what the ques tions will
be. (You should note that perhaps you will only be able to predict part of a question, rather
than the complete question.) If you cannot predict the question in a short period of time,
then move on to the next group of answers. Question 1 has been answered for you.

1. Question: What type of plant is this?

(A) A beautiful plant.

(B) A poisonous plant.
(C) A delicious plant.
(D) A fast-growing plant.

2. Question: ...............................................?

(A) In vegetable gardens.

(B) Only in the United States.
(C) In supermarkets.
(D) In many different places.

3. Question:................................................?

(A) Its leaves resemble parsley.

(B) It grows next to carrots.
(C) Its leaves are shaped like carrots.
(D) It does not have roots.

4. Question: .....................................................?

(A) The person may die.

 (B) The person may get lots of healthful nutrients.
(C) The person may enjoy it and want more.
(D) The person may become dangerous.

5. Question:.....................................................?

(A) A story-writing contest.

(B) A frog-catching contest.
(C) A singing contest.
(D) A frog-jumping contest.

6. Question: ...................................................?

(A) Sixty-three.
(B) Two hundred.
(C) Two thousand.
(D) Forty thousand.

7. Question:....................................................?

(A) One.
(B) Two.
(C) Three.
(D) Four.

8. Question:.....................................................?

(A) The contest took place for years before Twain wrote about it...
(B) Twain wrote about the contest while he was watching it for the first time.
(C) Twain went to see the contest many times during his lifetime.
(D) Twain wrote about the contest before it actually took place.

9. Question: ...................................................?

(A) A student.
(B) A professor.
(C) A bookstore clerk.
(D) A librarian.

10. Question:.................................................?

(A) The place where students get ID cards.

 (B) The place where students can use computers.
(C) The place where students check books out.
(D) The place where students find books in the library.

11. Question: ...............................................?

(A) A fee.
(B) A student ID card.
(C) Permission from the instructor.
(D) A computer.

12. Question:..............................................?

(A) A few hours.

(B) Two days.
(C) Fourteen days.
(D) Two months.

Listening Part C: The Topics (Skill 11)

As you listen to each talk in Listening Part C, you should be thinking about the topic
(subject) or main idea for each talk (as you did in Listening Part B). Since the first
sentence is generally a topic sentence, you should be asking yourself what the topic is
while you are listening carefully to the first part of the talk.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) Listen to a talk at the start of a meeting.

(woman) Id like to call this meeting to order now. This is the third monthly meeting
of the science club thissemester, and today we need to discuss the upcoming science fair.

You think:

The topic of the talk is a meeting of the science club to discuss the science fair

EXERCISE 11:

Listen to the first part of each of the talks, and decide on the topic of each Talk.

1. What is the topic of Talk 1?

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. What is the topic of Talk 2?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What is the topic of Talk 3?

Listening Part C: Order of the Answer (Skill 12)

The answers in Listening Part C are generally found in order in the talk (as they were in
Listening Part B). This means that as you listen to the talk, you should be thinking
about the answers to the questions in the order that they are listed in the test book.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) Questions 1 through 3. Listen to a talk about cats.

(woman) Many people are allergic to cats. If they come in contact with cats, they sneeze
their skin turns red, and their eyes begin to burn. However, it is not only people who suffer
from allergies. Cats may also be allergic to pollen, dust, and perfumes, many of the same
agents that cause allergies in people. Perhaps your cat is sneezing and has watery eyes. If
you think that your cat has some allergies, a veterinarian can prescribe medication to help
solve the problem

On the recording, you hear:

(narrator) 1. What happens to people who suffer from allergies?

2. What is mentioned about cats?
3. What can someone do with a cat that has allergies?

In your test book, you read (same time):

1. (A) They shout.

(B) They drive red cars.
(C) They sneeze
(D) They close their eyes.
2. (A) They often wear perfume.
(B) They can have allergies
(C) They dont ever suffer.
(D) They like dust and pollen.

3. (A) Nothing.
(B) Bathe it frequently.
(C) Put it outside.
(D) Give it medicine

The first question asks what happens to people who suffer from allergies. The speaker says
that they sneeze, so the best answer is answer (C). The second question asks what is
mentioned about cats. The speaker says that cats may also be allergic, so the best answer is
answer (B), they can have allergies. The third question asks what to do with a cat that
has allergies. The speaker says that a veterinarian can prescribe medication, so the best
answer is answer (D), give it medicine.

EXERCISE 12: Listen to each complete talk, and answer the questions that follow.

1. (A) A beautiful plant.

(B) A poisonous plant.
(C) A delicious plant.
(D) A fast-growing plant.

2. (A) In vegetable gardens.

(B) Only in the United States.
(C) In supermarkets.
(D) In many different places.

3. (A) Its leaves resemble parsley.

(B) It grows next to carrots.
(C) Its leaves are shaped like carrots.
(D) It does not have roots.

4. (A) The person may die.

(B) The person may get lots of healthful nutrients.
(C) The person may enjoy it and want more.
(D) The person may become dangerous.
5. (A) A story-writing contest.
(B) A frog-catching contest.
(C) A singing contest.
(D) A frog-jumping contest.

6. (A) Sixty-three.
(B) Two hundred.
(C) Two thousand.
(D) Forty thousand.

7. (A) One.
(B) Two.
(C) Three.
(D) Four.

8. (A) The contest took place for years before Twain wrote about it.
(B) Twain wrote about the contest while he was watching it for the first time.
(C) Twain went to see the contest many times during his lifetime.
(D) Twain wrote about the contest before it actually took place.

9. (A) A student.
(B) A professor.
(C) A bookstore clerk.
(D) A librarian.

10. (A) The place where students get ID cards.

(B) The place where students can use computers.
(C) The place where students check books out.
(D) The place where students find books in the library.

11. (A) A fee.

(B) A student identification card.
(C) Permission from the instructor.
(D) A computer.

12. (A) A few hours.

(B) Two days.
(C) Fourteen days.
(D) Two months.
 TOEFL POST - TEST

LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Time - approximately 35 minutes
(including the reading of the directions for each part)

In this section of the test, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to
understand conversations and talks in English. There are three parts to this section, with
special directions for each part. Answer all the questions on the basis of what is stated or
implied by the speakers you hear. Do not take notes or write in your test book at any time.
Do not turn the pages until you are told to do so.

Part A

Directions: In Part A you will hear short conversations between two people. After each
conversation, you will hear a question about the conversation. The conversations and
questions will not be repeated. After you hear a question, read the four possible answers in
your test book and choose the best answer. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of
the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have
chosen.

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 wasnt that hard. Therefore, the correct choice is (D).

1. (A) She doesnt want to go to class.

(B) Art has her glasses.
(C) The artist will begin the portrait tonight.
(D) The course starts this evening.

2. (A) A waiter.
(B) A baker.
(C) A neighbor.
 (D) A tour guide.

3. (A) Shes in the center of the shop.

(B) She went shopping for a new car.
(C) She took her car to the store.
(D) She was driving him crazy.

4. (A) He lied.
(B) Hes upset.
(C) He did not tell her his name.
(D) Hes always truthful.

5. (A) He believes that the woman has found some good pieces.
(B) He agrees that the prices are low.
(C) He would like to have a chance to say something.
(D) He thinks that the woman is wrong about the prices.

6. (A) Listen to him.

(B) Pay the check.
(C) Attend the meeting.
(D) Speak more clearly.

7. (A) Not moving inside.

(B) Playing in the rain.
(C) Not going out.
(D) Running hard.

8. (A) The courts have decided on a new judge.

(B) The judge made himself available for questions.
(C) The judge decided on the issue.
(D) The decision about the judge was finally made.

9. (A) She was unable to attend the chemistry class.

(B) She couldnt find the answer to the problem.
(C) Chemistry class just finished.
(D) She has a problem with her chemistry teacher.

10. (A) Stay home.

(B) Watch television.
(C) Buy a new house.
(D) Go out