38 LISTENING COMPREHENSION

THE LISTENING PART C QUESTIONS

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 riot 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. 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 Ameri-
can 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.
 LISTENING PART C 39

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.

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 from the Latin root for "salt," so the best answer is answer (A).

STRATEGIES FOR THE LISTENING PART C QUE'STIONS

1. If you have time, preview the answers to the Listening Part C 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 talk. The first line of the talk often conta.ins
the main idea, subject, or topic of the talk, and you will often be asked this type of
question.
3. As you listen to the talk, 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 talk, 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.

The following skills will help you to implement these strategies in Part C of the
Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL test.
40 LISTENING COMPREHENSION

SKILL 10: THE QUESTIONS ________________

It is very helpful to your ability to answer individual questions in Listening Part C
if you can anticipate what the questions will be and listen specifically Jor 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?

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 ableto predict part of
a q~e$tion, 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.
 LISTENING PART C 41

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.
(continued on next page)
42 LISTENING COMPREHENSION

12 Question: ________-------~------------
(A) A few hours.
(B) Two days.
(C) Fourteen days.
(D) Two months.

SKILL 11: THE TOPIC _ _--,-_________- - - - - -

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) I'd like to call this 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 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.

n Now BEGIN THE RECORDING AT EXERCISE 11.

1. What is the topic of Talk I?

2. What is the topic of Talk 2?

3. What is the topic of Talk 3?

 LISTENING PART C 43

SKILL 12: THE ORDER OF THE ANSWERS _ _--,---_ _ __

The answers in Listening PaIt 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, youhear: In your test book, you read (same
(narrator) Questions 1 through 3. time):
Listen to a talk about cats. 1. (A) They shout.
(woman) Many people are allergic to (B) They drive red cars.
cats. If they come in contact (C) They sneeze.
with cats, they sneeze, their (D) They close their eyes.
skin turns red, and their
eyes begin to burn. However, 2. (A) They often wear perfume.
it is not only people who (B) They can have allergies.
suffer from allergies. Cats (C) They don't ever suffer.
may also be allergic to-- (D) They like dust and pollen.
pollen, dust, and perfumes,
many of the same agents 3. (A) Nothing.
that cause allergies in (B) Bathe it frequently.
people. Perhaps your cat is (C) Put it outside.
sneezing and has watery (D) Give it medicine.
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?

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 ques-
tion 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 thathas allergies. The speaker says that a veterinarian
can prescribe medication, so the best answer is answer (D), give it medicine.
44 LISTENING COMPREHENSION

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

n Now BEGIN THE RECORDING AT EXERCISE 12.

1. (A) A beautiful plant. 8. (A) The contest took place foryears

(B) A poisonous plant. before Twain wrote about it.
(C) A "delicious plant. (B) Twain wrote about the contest
(D) A fast-growing plant. while he was watching it for·
the first time.
2. (A) In vegetable gardens. (C) Twain went to see the contest
(B) Only in the United States. many times during his lifetime.
(C) In supermarkets. (D) Twain wrote about the contest
(D) In many different places. before it actually took place.

3. (A) Its leaves resemble parsley. 9. (A), A student.

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

4. (A) The person may die. lO. (A) The place where students get ID
(B) The person may get lots of cards.
healthful nutrients. (B) The place where students can use
(C) The person may enjoy it and computers.
want more. (C) The place where students check
(D) The person may become books out.
dangerous. (D) The place where students fipd
books in the library;
5. (A) A story-writing contest.
(B) A frog-catching contest. 11. (A) A fee.
(C) A singing contest. (B) A student identification card.
(D) A frog-jumping contest. (C) Permission from the instructor.
(D) A computer.
6. (A) Sixty-three.
(B) Two hundred. 12. (A) A few hours.
(C) Two thousand. (B) Two days.
(D) Forty thousand. (C) Fourteen days.
(D) Two months.
7. (A) One.
(B) Two.
(C) Three.
(D) Four.