TALKS

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.
SKILLS
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?
• Question:
(A) A beautiful plant.
(B) A poisonous plant. (A) The person may die.
(C) A delicious plant. (B) The person may get lots of healthful nutrients.
(D) A fast-growing plant. (C) The person may enjoy it and want more.
(D) The person may become dangerous.
2. Question: ………………….?
• Question:
(A) In vegetable gardens.
(B) Only in the United States. (A) A story-writing contest.
(C) In supermarkets. (B) A frog-catching contest.
(D) In many different places. (C) A singing contest.
(D) A frog-jumping contest.
3. Question: ______________________?
• Question:
(A) Its leaves resemble parsley.
(B) It grows next to carrots. (A) Sixty-three.
(C) Its leaves are shaped like carrots. (B) Two hundred.
(D) It does not have roots. (C) Two thousand.
(D) Forty thousand.
• Question: • Question:

(A) One. (A) A fee.

(B) Two.
(B) A student ID card.
(C) Three.
(D) Four. (C) Permission from the instructor.
(D) A computer.
8. Question:
11. Question:
(A) The contest took place for years
before Twain wrote about it. (A) A fee.
(B) Twain wrote about the contest while (B) A student ID card.
he was watching it for the first time. (C) Permission from the instructor.
(C) Twain went to see the contest many (D) A computer.
times during his lifetime.
(D) Twain wrote about the contest
before it actually took place. 12. Question:
(A) A few hours.
• Question: (B) Two days.
(C) Fourteen days.
(A) A student. (D) Two months.
.
(B) A professor.
(C) A bookstore clerk.
(D) A librarian.
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
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?

________________________________________

9.What is the topic of Talk 3?

_______________________________________
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. 5. (A) A story-writing contest.
(B) A poisonous plant. (B) A frog-catching contest.
(C) A delicious plant. (C) A singing contest.
(D) A fast-growing plant. (D) A frog-jumping contest.

2. (A) In vegetable gardens. 6. (A) Sixty-three.

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

3. (A) Its leaves resemble parsley. 7. (A) One.

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

4. (A) The person may die. 8. (A) The contest took place for years
(B) The person may get lots of healthful before Twain wrote about it.
nutrients. (B) Twain wrote about the contest while
(C) The person may enjoy it and want more. he was watching it for the first time.
(D) The person may become dangerous. (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. 11. (A) A fee.
(B) A professor. (B) A student identification card.
(C) A bookstore clerk. (C) Permission from the instructor.
(D) A librarian. (D) A computer.

10. (A) The place where 12. (A) A few hours.

students get ID cards. (B) Two days.
(B) The place where students (C) Fourteen days.
can use computers. (D) Two months.
(C) The place where students
check books out.
(D) The place where students
find books in the library.
 TOEFL Exercise 9-12
1. (A) An artist.
(B) A circus performer. 5. (A) An assembly line.
(C) John Ringling. (B) A car.
(D) A tour guide. (C) A company.
(D) An inventor.
2. (A) Because he was from Sarasota,
Florida. 6. (A) In 1908.
(B) Because he knew Rubens. (B) In 1914.
(C) Because he started a circus. (C) In 1918.
(D) Because he painted baroque-style (D) In 1924.
paintings.
7. (A) It was faster.
3. (A) Modern circus equipment. (B) It was more efficient.
(B) Paintings by Rubens. (C) It was more individualized.
(C) A parade wagon. (D) It was cheaper.
(D) A famous portrait of the Ringling
brothers. 8. (A) It increased slowly.
(B) It increased quickly.
4. (A) Enter the museum. (C) It remained about the same.
(B) Go to the circus. (D) It decreased.
(C) Return to the bus.
(D) Meet the Ring lings.
9. (A) Students who will soon graduate from 11. (A) Exams covering one or two hundred
the Psychology Department. pages.
(B) Professors in the Psychology (B) Exams about research.
Department. (C) Exams covering all material in the
(C) Graduate students in the Psychology program.
Department. (D) Exams about recent developments in
(D) Graduate advisors. psychology.

10. (A) Whether to write a thesis or take an 12. (A) Today.

exam. (B) Soon.
(B) Whether to be graduate or (C) Within six weeks.
undergraduate students. (D) Within half a year.
(C) Whether to graduate this year or next.
(D) Whether or not to study psychology
End of listening comprehension section