T A L K S Listening Comprehension Section

Long Talk is Part C of Listening Conversation section of the

paper TOEFL test

Long Talk consists of three long talks.

Each talks is followed by a number of questions.

The Talks are usually about some aspect of school or about

general living.

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.

Procedures For The Long Talks

• If you have time, preview the answer to the questions

• Listen carefully to the first line of the conversation.

• As you listen to the talks, follow along with the answers in your test

book and try to determine the correct answer.

• You should guess even if you are not sure.

• Use any remaining time to look ahead at the answers to the

questions that follow.

S K I L L S

Skill 10: THE QUESTIONS

It is very helpful to be able to answer individual questions that accompanying the talk.

Try to anticipate what the questions will be and listen specifically for the answers to those questions

Example:

In your test book, you read:

(A For week

(B) Since yesterday

(C) For two days

(D) Since 10:00 this morning

Anticipated questions:

How long has (something) been going on?

Exercise 10

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

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..  

Skill 11: THE TOPICS

As you listen to each long talk, you should be thinking about the topic

(subject) or main idea for each talk.

Since the sentence is generally a topic sentence, you should be asking

yourself the topic.

Example:

On the recording, you hear:(narrator) Listen to a talk at the start of a meeting(man) I’d like to call a meeting to order now. This is the third monthly meeting

of the Science Club this semester, and today we need to discuss the upcoming science fair.

You think: The topic of the talk is a meeting of Science Club to discuss science fair.

Exercise 11

1. What is the topic of Talk 1?

_______________________________________  2. What is the topic of Talk 2?

________________________________________

3.What is the topic of Talk 3?

_______________________________________

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

Skill 12: THE ORDER OF THE ANSWER

The answers to the questions accompanying long talk are

generally found in order in the talk.

It means that as you listen to a 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 don’t ever suffer. (D) They like dust and pollen. 3. (A) Nothing. (B) Bathe it frequently. (C) Put it outside. (D) Give it medicine 

Exercise 12

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 Exercise 9-12

1. (A) An artist.(B) A circus performer.(C) John Ringling.(D) A tour guide.

 2. (A) Because he was from Sarasota,

Florida.(B) Because he knew Rubens.(C) Because he started a circus.(D) Because he painted baroque-style

paintings. 3. (A) Modern circus equipment.

(B) Paintings by Rubens.(C) A parade wagon.(D) A famous portrait of the Ringling

brothers. 4. (A) Enter the museum.

(B) Go to the circus.(C) Return to the bus.(D) Meet the Ring lings.

 

5. (A) An assembly line.(B) A car.(C) A company.(D) An inventor.

 6. (A) In 1908.

(B) In 1914.(C) In 1918.(D) In 1924.

 7. (A) It was faster.

(B) It was more efficient.(C) It was more individualized.(D) It was cheaper.

8. (A) It increased slowly.(B) It increased quickly.(C) It remained about the same.(D) It decreased.

 

9. (A) Students who will soon graduate from the Psychology Department.

(B) Professors in the Psychology Department.

(C) Graduate students in the Psychology Department.

(D) Graduate advisors. 10. (A) Whether to write a thesis or take an

exam.(B) Whether to be graduate or

undergraduate students.(C) Whether to graduate this year or next.(D) Whether or not to study psychology 

 11. (A) Exams covering one or two hundred

pages.(B) Exams about research.(C) Exams covering all material in the

program.(D) Exams about recent developments in

psychology. 12. (A) Today.

(B) Soon.(C) Within six weeks.(D) Within half a year.

End of listening comprehension section