TOEFL conversations answer keys

TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation Narrator Listen to a conversation between a student and a university advisor The student is trying to decide where to go to school next year Advisor: Now, then, Mr., uh, Vickstad How can I help you? Student: Well, I'm thinking about transferring, but I'm, I'm not sure I was hoping you could help me make a decision A: I'll try Where are you thinking of transferring to? And why you want to leave Kryptos U? S: Um I'm thinking of going to Central University, because it's in my hometown I've uh, been kind of homesick here this year, and I haven't made many friends I just feel so lonely So, I thought that uh, maybe, it'd be better to be closer to my parents and friends and all A: I see And would you keep the same major if you transferred? What is it business administration? S: Yeah, I would The credits I've earned here will transfer to Central I've already checked A: May I ask why you chose to come to Kryptos University in the first place? S: Sure Um, well, the main reason is you have a great business school And the second reason is that I I wanted to get away from home A: You're right, Mr Vickstad, we have an excellent business school But, so does Central The thing is, you've got almost a year under your belt here now At Central, you'll be starting from scratch S: Yeah, I know that But I'm a little bit familiar with Central, 'cuz I had older friends who went there, and I visited it before I came here A: You know, freshman year is usually the hardest I remember how homesick I was my first year I'll tell you, I was ready to pack it in after the first two weeks But the longer I stayed, the more comfortable I felt By senior year, I was glad I chose to stay S: Really? Did it get a lot better your sophomore year? A: Yes, it did You might well find the same is true for you Also, even though your credits here will transfer, you will have to take extra courses, because Central has different requirements You'll probably have to go to school for an extra year S: Hmm I hadn't thought about that I'll have to check into it Maybe I should give it one Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys more year I mean, it's probably good for me to learn to live away from my family and friends, right? It'll make me stronger in the future A: You can always move back there after you graduate Of course, by that time you may not want to! S: Thank you for all your help I guess I'll find out the exact transfer requirements You've given me a lot to think about A: Don't mention it If you feel like you want to talk more, don't hesitate to come back and see me These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_1_conversation.mp3 Why is the student talking to the advisor? (A) To try and determine the best subject for him to major in (B) To ask about the advisor's experiences as an undergraduate (C) To get advice about transferring to a different university (D) To decide which classes would be best to take next quarter Which of these statements about the student's experience are true? (A) He is senior at Kryptos Univeristy (B) He is majoring in business administration (C) He wanted to go to a school close to home (D) He has made lots of friends at Kryptos Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_1_conversation_excerpt.mp3) S: Yeah, I know that But I'm a little bit familiar with Central, 'cuz I had older friends who went there, and I visited it before I came here A: You know, freshman year is usually the hardest I remember how homesick I was my first year I'll tell you, I was ready to pack it in after the first two weeks But the longer I stayed, the more comfortable I felt By senior year, I was glad I chose to stay Why does the advisor say this: "I was ready to pack it in after the first two weeks"? (A) To show that she emphasizes with the student's feelings (B) To make the student feel foolish about wanting to leave (C) To demonstrate how brave he was for staying in school (D) To illustrate an example of his poor decision-making What will the student have to if he transfers? (A) Send educational records Photocopiable © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys (B) Take extra courses (C) Change majors (D) Visit his friends What will most likely happen next? (A) The advisor will call the students' parents (B) The student will search for more information (C) The student will move back to his hometown (D) The advisor will research in the lab Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation Narrator Listen to a conversation between two students in their first class of the term Arthur: Morning, Myra Myra: Oh hi, Arthur! You're taking Ecology Three Eleven, too? A: Looks like it It's my only elective this term M: Really? What happened? A: Oh, I just took too many my second year, and now I've got to pick up all the required courses I've been ignoring University's just too much fun, I guess M: Too many parties? A: No (laughs) Well, yeh, that too But you know there're just so many interesting things to learn about, and we've only got four years here to explore them I've been having too good a time at it, that's all But it has helped me decide my major, finally M: And? A: Bus Ad I've learned a lot here, and one thing I've learnt is that most fields don't hold out a lot of promise for gainful employment! So I'm playing it safe and going for my BA in business administration M: So, why Three Eleven? An ecology course isn't going to help you in your office job at some corporation A: Prob'ly not, but it still seems interesting and important We all need to know about the environment, no matter what we for a living M: Yeah, you're right And maybe you will be able to use it Maybe you'll end up working for a green company or something A: Could be There's more and more of those every day M: And thank goodness Poor old Earth! A: Is that why you're taking this? M: Well, it's not an elective for me I need Three Eleven for my BS program We need several cross-field courses to "broaden our understanding", and this is one of them Actually, though, I'm looking forward to this course: "Nature's Influence on Man Man's Influence on Nature"! Sounds like a really useful topic, doesn't it? And Dr Forsythe is supposed to be a very Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) Answer keys engaging lecturer A: Well, his website is a gas, at least! He's got an hilarious little eco-game on it: shoot the wolves and see how many deer reproduce and eat all the grass! M: Hmm I suppose that would teach, uh, fifth graders about the balance of nature A: Hey, it was fun! Anyway, he's also got some good information there it'll probably come in handy when he gives us homework M: Wow, you're right! I better take a look at it myself Can you give me his URL? A: It's listed right in the course guide where they describe the course, but if you can't find it, I'll give it to you next time Or I could email it to you what's your address? M: That would be great, thanks Myrasweetie@umail.com Here, I'll write it down for you Did you pick up your textbook yet? A: No I've been looking for a secondhand copy before I spring for a new one It's expensive- forty-five bucks! M: (sighs) They all are, aren't they? Why poor college students have to pay so much for their textbooks? It ain't fair A: It's just economics Nobody reads them except the students that take the courses The publishers probably didn't print more than a few hundred copies of our text, you know M: Still, they could print them in paperback, couldn't they? That would save us some money A: And on newsprint sure! (laughs) Some students keep them, though, for reference after they graduate, if they're working in that field In that case, they need to be durable My dad's still got his college accounting textbooks and he uses them all the time M: I suppose you're right Where you gonna find a used copy? At the bookstore? A: They don't have any there now I checked I put up some notes on the Science Building bulletin boards yesterday Maybe someone there's got one they don't want to keep anymore M: Well, uh, if you hear about two of them, will you let me know? I'd like to save a little money, too A: Sure If I do, I'll buy it for you and you can pay me back How much are you willing to pay? M: Oh, anything under thirty-five dollars'll be fine A penny saved is a penny earned But if you haven't found one by next Monday, I'll have to buy a new one then, so email me Sunday night either way, will you? A: You bet Oops! Here's Dr Forsythe now Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) Answer keys These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_2_conversation.mp3 Why is the man taking this course? (A) It's an elective (B) It's a required course (C) It's important to him (D) It's enjoyable for him Why is the woman taking this course? (A) It's an elective (B) It's a required course (C) It's important to her (D) It's enjoyable for her What will they next? (A) Buy their textbooks (B) Email some information (C) Save some money (D) Listen to a lecture What is the purpose of this conversation? (A) To study the text together (B) To pass time until class starts (C) To share information about ecology (D) To begin a relationship Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_2_conversation_excerpt.mp3) Myra: Actually, though, I'm looking forward to this course: "Nature's Influence on Man -Man's Influence on Nature"! Sounds like a really useful topic, doesn't it? And Dr Forsythe is supposed to be a very engaging lecturer Arthur: Well, his website is a gas, at least! He's got an hilarious little eco-game on it: shoot the wolves and see how many deer reproduce and eat all the grass! Myra: Hmm I suppose that would teach, uh, fifth graders about the balance of nature Arthur: Hey, it was fun! Anyway, he's also got some good information there it'll probably come in handy when he gives us homework Why does the young woman say this: "I suppose that would teach, uh, fifth graders about the balance of nature"? Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys (A) She thinks the game is educational (B) She thinks the game is beneath the man (C) She thinks the game is inappropriate (D) She thinks the game is fun Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation Narrator Listen to a conversation between a professor and his assistant Dr Abercrombie: Good morning, Hanna Thanks for coming in How was your holiday? Mr Fitch: It was very good, Professor, thanks A week in the Appalachians is really therapeutic Nothing to but eat, sleep, and listen to nature It's beautiful up there in the spring the countryside is so green and the people are so friendly and laid back A good place to unwind Dr: I envy you I've just got too much to get done to get away at all now I must get this book finished, for one thing my publisher's getting impatient I've outlined the last two chapters, though, finally, so it won't take me too much longer, I hope Maybe I'll be able to go somewhere at Christmas But, um, what I wanted to talk to you about is our syllabus for this term, Hanna I know this is short notice, but I'd like to make a couple of little changes to it Mr: Uh oh! I know your idea of "little" changes! Dr: (laughs) No, no, I don't think it'll be that bad this time What I'd like to is, uh, cut Lectures Two and Three the ones on Old English and Middle English down to half their length and then meld them together into a single lecture Then, with that extra ninety minutes, I want to add a lecture at the end on World Englishes I think it's time we dealt with that more thoroughly, don't you? Mr: Yessir, I certainly That's a good idea So I guess I just need to cut down the quizzes to match and add a new one for World Englishes Do you know when I'll be able to see your revised OE and ME notes? Dr: I've already done a good bit of that revision, Hanna, and I think I'll have them ready for you before Lecture One That's April eighth, I think? Mr Yes, Tuesday the eighth Dr: I've taken the segments on pronunciation out I think we can lose those easily enough Nobody really needs to recite "Beowulf" or the "Canterbury Tales" any more no matter how much fun it is Mr: And that means you probably won't be discussing orthography much either? Dr: I suppose not I just want to be sure to point out clearly the main ways in which Modern English has developed from its predecessors You know, the Great Vowel Shift, and so forth Saving ninety minutes is not going to commit Old and Middle English to total oblivion, after all Mr: (laughs) Not if you can help it, certainly! So I can eliminate the phonetics quiz completely, Photocopiable © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys then? Dr: Yes, I think so I'll still give them a reading just so they can get a flavour of their ancestral tongue, but they can get as much of the phonetics as they want out of the textbook and it's rote learning anyway, really Mr: Now, what about your new lecture, then? Can I get started on any of that? Dr: Yes, that's where I could really use your help in the next couple of weeks I need you to research 'pidgins and creoles' for me I've never paid enough attention to them, and I'd like an idea of the number there are, uh, their distribution, and uh, what linguists are saying about them these days are they English dialects? Derivative languages? What? See if you can find me some interesting examples and some specific quotes, will you? Mr: Yes, of course I think I know the kind of thing you're looking for I'll take a look for internet sources this afternoon and then see what the library has later Dr: Thank you, Hanna, I'd appreciate that And while you're there, would you see if they've got a copy of Burnley's source book on the history of English? I can't seem to find mine Mr: Oh Uh that's because you lent it to me last term and erm, I haven't returned it yet Dr: Ah Well Get it back to me sometime soon, then, will you? I need to refer to it for my revisions Mr: Yessir, of course Anything else on the syllabus? Dr: Just that we'll need the student handout revised to reflect the changes Who was in charge of that last time? Mr: The department secretary has the file I'll draft a revision, let you check it, and then give it to her, shall I? Shouldn't take long, and we just need to get photocopies before the first class Dr: All right, I'll leave that in your hands too then, Hanna Just let me know if you need anything And I'll see you at the faculty meeting tomorrow afternoon Mr: Oh, yes Yes The faculty meeting Oh, and if you need any anecdotes on Appalachian English dialect, I'm your man I've just picked up a wealth of contemporary examples! Dr: (laughs) I'll keep that in mind Thanks, Hanna These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_3_conversation.mp3 What is the purpose of this meeting? (A) To renew a program (B) To review a subject (C) To reschedule a lecture Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) Answer keys (D) To revise a course Why did the assistant go to Appalachia? (A) For research (B) For fieldwork (C) For relaxation (D) For samples Why will the professor give the students a reading? (A) So they can hear Old English (B) So they can write Old English phonetically (C) To fill out his lecture (D) To satisfy the requirements of the course What will the assistant probably next? (A) Go to the library (B) Return a book (C) Attend a meeting (D) Surf the Net Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_3_conversation_excerpt.mp3) Dr Abercrombie: I've taken the segments on pronunciation out I think we can lose those easily enough Nobody really needs to recite "Beowulf" or the "Canterbury Tales" any more-no matter how much fun it is Mr Fitch: And that means you probably won't be discussing orthography much either? Dr: I suppose not I just want to be sure to point out clearly the main ways in which Modern English has developed from its predecessors You know, the Great Vowel Shift, and so forth Saving ninety minutes is not going to commit Old and Middle English to total oblivion, after all Mr: (laughs) Not if you can help it, certainly! So I can eliminate the phonetics quiz completely, then? Dr: Yes, I think so I'll still give them a reading just so they can get a flavour of their ancestral tongue, but they can get as much of the phonetics as they want out of the textbook and it's rote learning anyway, really Why does Henry say this: "Not if you can help it, certainly!"? (A) He thinks the professor should teach less Old English (B) He thinks the professor should teach more Old English Photocopiable 10 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys Why does the young man say this: " 'Little' is the operative word there, isn't it?" (A) He thinks the woman has made the wrong word choice (B) He thinks there will be few profits from this investment (C) He thinks the woman should invest more money (D) He thinks the word is not so important to the idea she expressed What will the young man during his next class? (A) Look at the young woman's practicum (B) Borrow $500 (C) Make an overnight deposit (D) Give the young woman some money Photocopiable 180 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation 47 Narrator Listen to a conversation between a student and an English professor Student: You wanted to see me, Dr Dietz? Dr Dietz: Yes Sit down please, Jacob It's about your essay um just a moment Where did I put it now? Ah, here it is It's about your essay here S: Oh? DD: I'm interested in this part uh here: (reading) "Exiles is a play worthy of examination but not of performance Joyce's sense of the dramatic is not so much turgid as it is unspeakable." That's an acute assessment, I think, Jacob, and very well phrased I like it How did you come up with that idea? S: Ah Well uh I dunno I was reading a lot I mean, I was researching my topic, and um I guess it just came to me, you know, after studying so much about Joyce and his about play DD: And you've read Exiles, have you? S: Well erm not all of it, actually I, I didn't have time, really, to read the whole thing, but I, uh, I got through Act One, and then I, um, sort of skimmed through the rest, I guess and the ending DD: But you feel that you got a good sense of the play's merits and demerits?-S: Umm DD: Enough to form this considered opinion, did you? S: Uh, yes, I think so, I mean DD: Because what I'm wondering about here is your word choices, really I think the opinion itself is quite good, quite perceptive But, well, the phrasing seems a bit, a little familiar to me "Not so much turgid as it is unspeakable." It seems familiar It rings a bell, you know? S: Oh DD: Is it possible, you think, that you've written that before? In one of your other papers for me, I mean? S: Uh well, maybe I-DD: But I don't think we've discussed any other turgid authors, have we? Nice, but not a very generally useful phrase, is it? S: No I guess-DD: But catchy, certainly! I don't suppose you, um, caught it from someone else, did you? S: No-o! Oh well, maybe I Photocopiable 181 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) Answer keys DD: Perhaps you could've read it somewhere in the course of your research? And then, well forgotten, huh? S: Um yes I guess I could have But-DD: That sometimes happens, Jacob S: It does? Really? DD: Yes, it happens to the best of us, to the most conscientious of us Reading over and over, searching through lots of references, taking notes Phrases, ideas get picked up and we don't really realize it They sometimes seem like new ideas we have ourselves S: I see DD: Or sometimes we note down an extended quote that we like, and then we work relevant parts of it into our paper And then we revise and we re-organize, and it just sort of, well, gets lost in the shuffle we just forget to, or we fail to, follow through with the footnotes, you know S: Mm yeah Uh-DD: Anyway, whatever might have happened here as I said, "not so much turgid as it is unspeakable" this sounds very familiar, like someone's said it before And if that's actually the case, then it should be presented in your essay as a quotation, with a proper citation, don't you think? Even if the source itself is listed in your bibliography, you know S: Yes, of course! I'm sorry Maybe I should ? DD: Well, you should go back to the library, go back to your reference books, and see if you can't locate the source for this remark So here Here's your essay back-S: Oh! DD: and you can add the citation if you find the quote And then, bring it back to me and I'll grade it S: Oh, OK! Thank you, Dr Dietz I'll that right away and I'll be more careful next time, I assure you DD: I know you will, Jacob, I'm sure you will And you might try looking first in Reverend Stanton's Life of James Joyce I think that's a likely location Isn't that one of the books in your bibliography? S: I think, uh yes, here it is Gee, I looked at so many biographies of Joyce, I can't remember which one's which anymore DD: Well, Stanton's is probably the least sympathetic of Joyce's biographers I doubt he even tried to read Finnegans Wake Probably thought it was nonsense S: Well, I can see why! (Laughs nervously then suddenly stops.) But I guess I'd better get over to the library now DD: Yes Yes, you should And get back to me with your revisions as soon as you can, Jacob S: Yessir, I will Photocopiable 182 © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_47_conversation.mp3 Why did the professor call this meeting? (A) To grade the student (B) To blame the student (C) To accuse the student (D) To caution the student Which best paraphrases the student's remark in his essay regarding James Joyce's play, Exiles? (A) As a play, Exiles is unsuccessful (B) Exiles is an interesting literary work (C) Joyce's biographer, Stanton, didn't understand Exiles (D) The student found the play dramatic The professor says that the student's remark is "catchy", and then he asks the student whether he caught the remark from someone else What sort of word play or figure of speech is the professor using? (A) A pun (B) A simile (C) Reported speech (D) Alliteration Which best describes what the student will next in the library? (A) Rewrite his essay (B) Correct his bibliography (C) Finish reading Exiles (D) Search for a quotation Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_47_conversation_excerpt.mp3) Dr Dietz: Well, you should go back to the library, go back to your reference books, and see if you can't locate the source for this remark So here Here's your essay back-Student: Oh! DD: and you can add the citation if you find the quote And then, bring it back to me and I'll grade it S: Oh, OK! Thank you, Dr Dietz I'll that right away and I'll be more careful next time, I assure you DD: I know you will, Jacob, I'm sure you will And you might try looking first in Reverend Stanton's Life of James Joyce I think that's a likely location Isn't that one of the books in your bibliography? S: I think, uh yes, here it is Gee, I looked at so many biographies of Joyce, I can't remember which one's which anymore DD: Well, Stanton's is probably the least sympathetic of Joyce's biographers I doubt he even Photocopiable 183 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys tried to read Finnegans Wake Probably thought it was nonsense S: Well, I can see why! (Laughs nervously then suddenly stops.) But I guess I'd better get over to the library now DD: Yes Yes, you should And get back to me with your revisions as soon as you can, Jacob S: Yessir, I will Why does the young man say this: "Well, I can see why!"? (A) He has read some of Finnegans Wake (B) He has read some of Exiles (C) He has read some of Stanton's Life of James Joyce (D) He has read many biographies of James Joyce Photocopiable 184 © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation 48 Narrator Listen to a conversation between a TEFL professor and a student after class Professor Dickens: Hello, Linda Can I help you? Linda Wright: Yes, professor I was wondering about what you said at the, at the end of your lecture, about the dangers of prescriptive grammar? PD: Yes? LW: And well, you said that, uh, prescriptive grammar I mean, teaching the rules of how grammarians think people should use English actually impedes learning, right? PD: Yes, that's what I said, Linda It does impede learning, it impedes language acquisition Studies have actually shown that LW: But what bothers me, I guess, is that, well all I've ever studied is prescriptive grammar, then That's what I've learned, and that's what I use, and that's what I know, I think When I was in school, when I was growing up in Denver we learned "I before E", we learned to avoid "ain't", and double negatives, and "they" as a singular pronoun, and "between you and I", and so on, and well, just a whole slew of rules that you'd call prescriptive, I'm sure PD: Yes Yes, I would many of them LW: So you're saying that we shouldn't teach any of that? PD: "Teach"? No, you really shouldn't try to "teach" those kinds of grammar rules LW: Because they're not good rules? PD: Well, no, that's not it at all Now, you've just listed a few "rules" that actually range very widely between good and bad It's true that some of your students are going to need to know, to be aware of, many of those rules eventually When they're writing business reports or college essays, for instance But if you fill their lessons with rules, if your students are always worrying about being "right" or "wrong" instead of relaxing and just focussing on communicating, then those rules really get in the way of the learning process, of the process of language acquisition LW: But then when or how we ? PD: Discourage double negatives? Get them to say "between you and me"? By example, mostly You need to have confidence in your own English as a model you're a native speaker, after all a college-educated English speaker almost LW (laughs): Soon college-educated, I hope! PD (laughs): Yes, I'm sure you will be So have confidence in your own English, the English you use Your students will hear you They'll pay attention to how you speak, to what you say LW: But how does that help them exactly? PD: It lets them realize for themselves those many small elements of the language that Photocopiable 185 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys preoccupy some grammarians so much Tell me, Linda, why TEFL students take classes? LW: Well to learn to speak English, don't they? PD: Precisely! So that's what you want them to be able to do, to be doing, in class speaking English Now, if I'm a student and I say to you, "I don't brought my homework today" you understand what I mean? LW: Well, uh, sure you mean you didn't bring your homework PD: So I communicated successfully, didn't I? LW: Well, yes but-PD: And it's important that that success should be rewarded But if the teacher responds instead with "No, you should say 'didn't bring'", then the student all too often feels embarrassed or chastened, or he loses self-confidence Not all of them, of course But many The student withdraws psychologically from participation in the communication process-and this is deadly This is dangerous What you want to is complete the communicative act Say something like, "Oh, that's OK if you didn't bring it today Just bring it tomorrow." LW: Oh! So PD: So, that way you haven't "taught" negative past formation, you have just presented it in the process of communicating The student is happy that you understood his English, and he's happy that you're not angry about his forgetting his homework and he may have noticed how you formed that verb phrase Or if he didn't, he may notice it next time Research shows that, over time, this kind of positive reinforcement produces a much steeper learning curve LW: Yeah? PD: And the students, on average, attain fluency much more quickly LW: Well, I guess that makes sense, then PD: What I'm arguing against, actually, is not prescriptive grammar per se English does have rules that speakers are judged by what I'm protesting is prescriptive teaching, with the teacher as lawgiver That's what can be counter-productive LW: I think I'm beginning to get it, Doctor Dickens Thank you very much Will you be talking more about this later? PD: Oh, yes We'll be discussing this in detail in our next class So don't be late! LW (laughs): OK, I won't Thank you for your time See you Tuesday These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_48_conversation.mp3 Which best describes why the student initiated this conversation? (A) To protest an opinion (B) To state a position (C) To clarify a statement (D) To take a different viewpoint Photocopiable 186 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys According to their conversation, which is NOT a problem with teaching grammar rules? (A) It slows language acquisition (B) It affects the learner negatively (C) The teacher becomes a dictator (D) The rules are all inaccurate The professor explains that if a student says, "I don't brought my homework", it is an example of (A) Past tense misconstruction (B) Double negation (C) Prescriptive grammar (D) Student lack of confidence Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_48_conversation_excerpt.mp3) Professor Dickens: But if you fill their lessons with rules, if your students are always worrying about being "right" or "wrong" instead of relaxing and just focussing on communicating, then those rules really get in the way of the learning process, of the process of language acquisition Linda Wright: But then when or how we ? PD: Discourage double negatives? Get them to say "between you and me"? By example, mostly You need to have confidence in your own English as a model you're a native speaker, after all a college-educated English speaker almost LW (laughs): Soon college-educated, I hope! PD (laughs): Yes, I'm sure you will be So have confidence in your own English, the English you use Your students will hear you They'll pay attention to how you speak, to what you say Why does the student say this: "Soon college-educated, I hope!"? (A) She is worried about graduating (B) She is being modest about her ability (C) She wants to get a good mark from the professor (D) She wants her students to attend college, too Which might make the best title for the professor's next lecture? (A) Business and Academic English (B) Prescriptive vs Descriptive Grammar (C) Teaching English Grammar (D) Optimal Language Acquisition Photocopiable 187 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation 49 Narrator Listen to a conversation between two students over lunch Bill: Hi, Hillary Can I join you? Hillary: Oh hi, Bill Sure Sit down What's for lunch? Oh you're having the beef curry, eh? I'd better warn the rest of the class B: I can't come today I've got to skip it H: Why? B: Oh, I've got to finish this motivation letter here H: Which one's that? B: It's my letter for USC grad school I've got to get it in the mail this afternoon I've been putting it off and putting it off, but now I've really got to get it done, or I'll miss the submission deadline So I'm going to have to miss 360 class, that's all H: Too bad Why'n't you write it before, anyway? You're one of the most organized guys I know B: Oh, I dunno I never know what to say in these things exactly And this one's really got me stumped I really want to get into their graduate International Affairs program so this one's got to be just right, you know? H: So what's wrong with it? Can I see what you've got so far? B: Huh? Oh Sure Here you go It's just that, uh, I can't find that, you know, balance between eagerness and uh, effusiveness I mean, how to show them I'm sincere I want to tell them that I really want to get into that program, and that I think I've got the background to well in it but I can't sound like some, well, wet-behind-the-ears, stars-in-my-eyes wannabe, either H: Yeah I know what you mean It's hard, isn't it? It's a fine line to walk Lemmee see mmm this is nice "The political turmoil that has brought in the 21st century" catchy! Hmm Oh, but this "I really feel my qualifications " Naw, that's no good, Bill That sounds really canned And you shouldn't have to say you "feel" that feeling should come out in the context and "really" certainly doesn't belong anywhere near a formal letter! B: Oh H: Just cut that clause out and get right into it: "My qualifications match the prerequisites you indicate and " Hmm But then you don't mention them at all B: Mention what? The prerequisites? H: Neither one You haven't given any details either about your qualifications or about the prerequisites that USC wants B: Well, they know their own prerequisites, don't they? Photocopiable 188 © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys H: Yes, of course but a smart applicant would remind them B: And my CV is going to be attached to this and it lists all my education and experience-in gory detail H: Yeah, but even so you ought to give them, maybe, some examples at least, some key examples, here in the letter If you say they match, then you should match them up right here You know, like uh, what? you've taken a heckuva lot of languages, haven't you? What are you taking this year? B: Uh second year German and first year Japanese H: Well, put those in here Be specific "My language credits in French, German and Japanese, in addition to the fact that I am bilingual in Spanish and English, abundantly satisfy your language prerequisite." You've got to impress them with the truth, Bill, really And nothing sounds more truthful than specific details details that can be checked and verified And then, help them, help them think it out "My language experience has already provided me a good grounding in many cross-cultural basics." something like that B: But isn't all that going to make this thing 'way too long? I've always read you're not supposed to go over one, a single, page with a cover letter H: But this isn't a cover letter Well, yes, it's a kind of a cover letter but it's more than that It's supposed to show what makes you tick who you are, and what you want out of life What you want out of that USC program B: So H: So don't worry about length As long as you're not just creating padding, not creating filler, as long as you're giving them good solid useful information about your abilities and goals, they'll keep reading And they'll get a good clear picture of who you are as a candidate B: So, what you think then? Two pages? H: Sure, that'll be fine As long as you have something relevant to say B: But I'm running out of time on this H: Look isn't this important? You can this B: Well, OK then Whatever you say Uh would you have a chance to take one more look at this thing before I send it off? H: Yeah, I guess so When? I thought you were in a rush to get this off B: Yeah, I am But I think I can get this revised and ready by the end of our 360 lecture H: the one you're skipping? B: Yes So I could bring it over to you at the end of class H: Or where are you going to work on it? Here? B: Yep I'm going to be sitting right here till it's done Photocopiable 189 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys H: Well then, why don't I just come back here after class and find you? B: That'd be great, Hillary I'd really appreciate it H: No problem Anything to get you out of here and into another university (laughs) B (laughs): Aw, c'mon! Anyway, thanks Really H: See you in a couple of hours, then B: OK, great! These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_49_conversation.mp3 According to the text, how many languages does the young man have an acquaintance with? (A) Three (B) Four (C) Five (D) Six Which is NOT suggested as a reason for omitting details in the young man's letter? (A) The letter would be too long (B) The university demands prerequisites (C) Time is short (D) They are in his curriculum vitae How long does the young man think it will take him to finish the letter? (A) A few minutes (B) An hour or so (C) The rest of the afternoon (D) One day Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_49_conversation_excerpt.mp3) Bill: I've got to finish this motivation letter here Hillary: Which one's that? B: It's my letter for USC grad school I've got to get it in the mail this afternoon I've been putting it off and putting it off, but now I've really got to get it done, or I'll miss the submission deadline So I'm going to have to miss 360 class, that's all H: Too bad Why'n't you write it before, anyway? You're one of the most organized guys I know B: Oh, I dunno I never know what to say in these things exactly And this one's really got me stumped I really want to get into their graduate International Affairs program so this one's got to be just right, you know? H: So what's wrong with it? Can I see what you've got so far? Photocopiable 190 © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys B: Huh? Oh Sure Here you go It's just that, uh, I can't find that, you know, balance between eagerness and uh, effusiveness I mean, how to show them I'm sincere I want to tell them that I really want to get into that program, and that I think I've got the background to well in it but I can't sound like some, well, wet-behind-the-ears, stars-in-my-eyes wannabe, either H: Yeah I know what you mean It's hard, isn't it? It's a fine line to walk Lemmee see mmm this is nice "The political turmoil that has brought in the 21st century" catchy! Hmm Oh, but this "I really feel my qualifications " Naw, that's no good, Bill That sounds really canned And you shouldn't have to say you "feel" that feeling should come out in the context and "really" certainly doesn't belong anywhere near a formal letter! B: Oh What does the young woman mean when she says this: "It's a fine line to walk"? (A) It's good to try hard (B) It's important to write well (C) There's no real difference (D) It's difficult to create the right impression What will the young woman probably next? (A) Go to class (B) Have lunch (C) Review the young man's letter (D) Return to the cafeteria Photocopiable 191 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation 50 Narrator Listen to a conversation between two graduate students in Biology Charles: Morning, Renee Sleep good? Renee: You bet! Like a log That was some outing, wasn't it? C: Sure was My legs are killing me I haven't hiked that far in ages R: No? You're not turning into an armchair biologist already, are you? At the ripe old age of twenty-four? C (laughs): Not yet But that was a long day How far you think we walked, anyway? R: I dunno Maybe well down from the parking area was about a mile, wasn't it? And then around the lake took us a couple of hours, so that must have been what? Two or three miles? And then all over through those woods! I've got no idea how far we walked around in there C: Maybe about the same again? And then along the creek and back to the vans heck, it must've been nine, ten miles at least, all told Anyway, I'm bushed R: That's the life of a field researcher: 'bushed' (laughs) C (laughs): In the bushes So what did we get for it? Have you sorted through any of that stuff we brought back yet? R: Just started Gonna help? C: That's what I'm here for Otherwise, I'd still be asleep in bed, I guarantee R: OK, then the plant press is right over there on the work counter, and I got out a new pack of specimen folders I think we must've collected fifty, sixty species, at least I started trying to sort them out by family, but I'm no botanist They all look like Compositae to me Can you handle them? C: Uh Well, OK I can classify the easier ones, I guess We'll have to wait for Sylvia to get here, though, for a lot of them Where's Gray's Manual? R: It's over there on the counter, too I thought it'd help me, but I just can't work those keys I don't have the vocabulary Lobate? Falcate? Sagittate? It's beyond me! So, if you can get on with those, then I'll, uh I guess I'll start on the killing jars C: Everything dead? R: Well, looks like But you know bugs They'll wake up again after they've been pinned for an hour Anyway, I'll start sorting those into families, too C: I thought we did that in the field? I was supposed to collect true bugs and beetles R: Yeah supposed to And I was supposed to be responsible for butterflies and moths But we didn't We pretty much collected whatever we found At least, I did My jar's full of Photocopiable 192 â www.english-test.net TOEFLđ based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys everything under the sun Even a scorpion C: Really? R: Well, a whip-scorpion C: Really?! Can I see it? I've never seen one of those before R: Yeah, sure Uh let me just empty this out on the blotting pad here There There he is C: Neat! Look at those antennae! R: Those aren't antennae Those are his front legs C: Oh Of course, spiders and such don't have antennae, they? He's going to be hard to spread, though R: Oh, I can't spread him He's too delicate I'll have to put him in alcohol C: Oh Yeah And when we finally get all these specimens sorted out according to kingdom, class, and family what we then? R: Well, this is just a lab project, y'know so I guess we just make a list and report the, uh, "Flora and Fauna of Catfish Creek", I suppose C: Aw, there must be more to it than that Doctor Douglas is going to want something more than that, surely I mean, that's pretty simple-minded, don't you think? R: Yeah, well but look, here's the assignment sheet "Survey the species diversity of the Catfish Creek watershed." That's all it says C: No, no don't you see? The "species diversity" that means we need to some analysis here Is it very diverse? Lots of species, relatively? Lots of different kinds of species or just lots of related species? I'll bet he wants us to try and find out why there are a lot of species-or not so many species at Catfish Creek compared to some other areas R: Well, then how are we gonna that? We haven't got time enough to this all over again someplace else! C: We probably don't have to First thing is I'm going to the Science Library and see if there are any other comparable studies around here Or hey! Maybe an old study of Catfish Creek even and we could compare then and now! Can I leave all this with you for a while? R: Yeah, sure I've got nothing better to And Syvia will be along before long C: OK I'll be back in a couple of hours or so, then And get that whip scorpion into its alcohol before it shrivels up, eh? R (laughs): Yeah, right! Good luck C: Thanks See you Photocopiable 193 © www.english-test.net TOEFL® based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_50_conversation.mp3 Where does this conversation probably take place? (A) In a laboratory (B) In a dormitory (C) In a van (D) In the countryside What were they doing yesterday? (A) Classifying (B) Camping (C) Collecting (D) Counting Why they need to sort the insects by family? (A) So that they will be ready for Sylvia (B) Because Dr Douglas is not satisfied (C) Because they didn't it in the field (D) Because the whip scorpion is in the wrong jar Why they examine the whip scorpion? (A) They need to classify it (B) It must be preserved carefully (C) To see if it has antennae (D) It is new for the young man Narrator: Listen again to part of the passage and answer the following question(s) (audio file TOEFL_50_conversation_excerpt.mp3) Charles: How far you think we walked, anyway? Renee: I dunno Maybe well down from the parking area was about a mile, wasn't it? And then around the lake took us a couple of hours, so that must have been what? Two or three miles? And then all over through those woods! I've got no idea how far we walked around in there C: Maybe about the same again? And then along the creek and back to the vans heck, it must've been nine, ten miles at least, all told Anyway, I'm bushed R: That's the life of a field researcher: 'bushed' (laughs) C (laughs): In the bushes So what did we get for it? Have you sorted through any of that stuff we brought back yet? R: Just started Gonna help? C: That's what I'm here for Otherwise, I'd still be asleep in bed, I guarantee Why does the young woman say this: "That's the life of a field researcher: 'bushed'"? (A) She is tired (B) She is cracking a joke (C) She is explaining her job (D) She enjoyed the experience Photocopiable 194 © www.english-test.net ... Forsythe now Photocopiable â www.english-test.net TOEFL? ? based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_ 2_conversation.mp3 Why is the man taking... Coach G'night These answer keys refer to the audio file TOEFL_ 14_conversation.mp3 Photocopiable 47 â www.english-test.net TOEFL? ? based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys What position... She thinks the game is fun Photocopiable © www.english-test.net TOEFL? ? based listening exercises (conversations) – Answer keys TOEFL listening conversation Narrator Listen to a conversation between