Strategies for the listening part A questions

1. As you listen to each short conversation, focus on the second line of the conversation. The answer
to the questions is generally found in the second line.
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.
3. Keep in mind that certain structures and expressions are tested regularly in Listening Part A.
Listen for these structures and expressions:
 Structures (passives, negatives, wishes, conditions)
 Functional expressions (agreement, uncertainty, suggestion, surprise)
 Idiomatic expressions (two-part verbs, three-part verbs, idioms)
4. Even if you do not understand the complete conversation, you can find the correct answer.
 If you only understand 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.

STRATEGIES

Strategy #1: Focus on the second line

1. The second line of the conversation probably contains the answer to the questions.
2. Listen the first line of the conversation. If you understand it, that’s good. If you don’t understand it, don’t
worry because it probably does not contain the answer.
3. Be ready to focus on the second line of the conversation because it probably contains the answer. Repeat
the second line in your mind as you read through the answers in the text.

Strategy #2: Choose answers with synonyms

1. As you listen to the second line of the conversation, focus on key words in that line.
2. If you see any synonyms for key words in a particular answer, then you have probably found the correct
answer.
Strategy #3: Avoid similar sounds
1. Identify key words in the second line of the conversations.
2. Identify words in the answers that contain similar sounds, and do not choose these answers.
Note: In appendix A there are drills to practice distinguishing similar sounds. You may want to complete these
practice drills before trying the following exercises.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE

WHO, WHAT, WHERE #4: Draw conclusions about who, what, where
It is common for you to be asked to draw one of the following conclusions in Listening Part A:
1. WHO is probably talking?
2. WHAT will s/he probably do next?
3. WHERE does the conversation probably take place?

WHO, WHAT, WHERE #5: Listen for who and what in passives
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.
Note: Check carefully who or what is doing the action in these questions.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE #6: Listen for who and what with multiple nouns
When there are multiple nouns in a sentence, it is common for the answers to confuse which noun does what.
NEGATIVES

NEGATIVES #7: Listen for negative expressions

Expression
Regular negative: not or n’t
Other negatives: nobody, none,
nothing, never
Negative prefixes: un-, in-, dis-
Types of negative expressions
Example
Tom is not sad about the results.
Nobody arrived on time.
Sal never works hard.
The patient was insane.
Correct Answer
Not sad = happy
Nobody … on time = late
Never works hard = lazy
Insane = not sane = crazy

NEGATIVES #8: Listen for double negative expressions

Situation
Negative word (e.g. not, no, none) and
a negative prefix (e.g. in-, un-, dis-)
Two negative verbs
Neither or not … either
Two negatives make the sentence positive.
Double negatives
Example
He didn’t like the unclean office.
It isn’t snowing, so they aren’t
going to the mountains.
Sue didn’t like the movie, and
neither did Mark.
Meaning
Did not like unclean office
= liked clean office
Implies that they would go if it were
snowing
Both did not like the movie

NEGATIVES #9: Listen for “Almost negative” Expressions

Common Almost Negative Expressions
Meaning Expression Example
Almost none Hardly, barely, scarcely, only There is hardly any food in the refrigerator.
Almost never Rarely, never He rarely drives to work.

NEGATIVES #10: Listen for Negatives with comparatives

Comparatives with negatives
Comparative Example Meaning
More No one is more beautiful than she is. She is the most beautiful.
-er He couldn’t be happier. He is extremely happy.
A sentence with a negative and a comparative has a superlative, or very strong, meaning.

FUNCTIONS

FUNCTIONS #11: Listen for Expressions of Agreement

Expressions of agreement
Agreement with Positive Statements Agreement with Negative Statements
So do I. Neither do I.
Me, too. I don’t either.
I’ll say!
Isn’t it!
You can say that again!

FUNCTIONS #12: Listen for Expressions of Uncertainty and Suggestion

Expressions of Uncertainty and Suggestion
Uncertainty Suggestion
… isn’t it (tag). Why not …
As far as I know. Let’s …
As far as I can tell.
The tag question isn’t it changes a definite statement into a statement that shows uncertainty.
Think and might express uncertainty.

FUNCTIONS #13: Listen for Emphatic Expressions of Surprise

Expressions of Emphatic Surprise
Verb Emphatic Form Example Meaning
Be Be, with emphasis Then, he is here! I thought he was not here.
Modal Modal, with emphasis Then, you can go! I thought you could not go.
Present tense Do(es), with emphasis Then, you do play tennis! I thought you did not play tennis.
Past tense Did, with emphasis Then, she did read it. I thought she had not read it.
Perfect tense Have, with emphasis Then, he has gone there. I thought he had not gone there.
When surprise is expressed, it implies that the speaker did not expect something to be true.
CONTRART MEANINGS

CONTRART MEANINGS #14: Listen for wishes

Key Information about Wishes
Point Example Meaning
An affirmative wish implies a negative reality. I wish I had time to help. = no time to help
A negative wish implies an affirmative reality. I wish I did not have time to help. = time to help
A past tense verb implies a present reality. I wish he were at home. *
= is not at home
A past perfect tense verb implies a past reality. I wish he had been at home. = was not at home
The important idea to remember about wishes is that a wish implies that the opposite of the wish is true.
*
Remember that were is used instead of was in wishes. I wish I were going.

CONTRART MEANINGS #15: Listen for Untrue Conditions

Key Information about Untrue Conditions
Point Example Meaning
An affirmative condition implies a negative If she were at home, she could do it.* = not at home
reality.
A negative condition implies an affirmative If she weren’t at home, she could do it. = at home
reality.
A past tense implies a present reality. If I had money, I would buy it. = do not have money
A past perfect verb implies a past reality. If I had money, I would have bought it. = did not have money
Had can be used without if . Had I had money, I would have bought it.** = did not have money
The important idea to remember about conditions is that a condition implies that the opposite of the condition is
true.
*Remember that were is used instead of was in untrue conditions: “If I were there, I would help.”
**This has the same meaning as “If I had had money….” Note that the subject and “had” are inverted.

IDIOMATIC LANGUAGE
IDIOMATIC LANGUAGE #16: Listen for Two-And Three-Part Verbs
- Questions involving two-and three-part verbs can be difficult for students because the addition of the particle
changes the meaning of the verb in an idiomatic way.
1. Cut down: decrease it. 26. Give back: return.
2. Cut off: stop the supply of. 27. Give up: surrender.
3. Cut out: stop it. 28. Put off: delay.
4. Get ahead: advance. 29. Put on: dress in.
5. Get along (with): be friendly. 30. Put up with: tolerate.
6. Get at: imply. 31. Break into: unlawfully enter.
7. Get back at: get revenge against 32. Break off: end.
8. Get by: manage. 33. Carry off: succeed.
9. Get over: recover from. 34. Carry on: continue.
10. Get rid of: throw away. 35. Hold off: postpone.
11. Brush off: not let it have an effect(무시하다). 36. Keep up: continue.
12. Brush up on: review; relearn. 37. Lay off: fire
13. Come across: unexpectedly find. 38. Run into: unexpectedly meet.
14. Come down with: get sick with. 39. Run out of: completely use the supply of.
15. Look after: take care of. 40. Wear out: tire(피로하다, 피로해지다).
16. Look into: investigate. 41. Play up: increase the significance of.
17. Look over: look at it briefly. 42. Pull off: succeed.
18. Pick on: bother. 43. Show off: try to attract attention.
19. Pick out: choose. 44. Show up: arrive.
20. Pick up: come and get. 45. Take place: happen.
21. Call on: visit. 46. Take turns: alternate.
22. Call off: cancel. 47. Take up: begin (a hobby).
23. Call for: request; suggest. 48. Turn down: refuse.
24. Call up: telephone. 49. Turn in: submit.
25. Give away: donate (자선 사업 등에) 기증[기부]하 50. Turn into: become(성질•형태 따위가) ~이 되다,
다; 주다(give). 변하다, 변질하다.

IDIOMATIC LANGUAGE #17: Listen for Idioms

1. Burn the candle at both ends: doing too much.
2. Put the cart before the horse: doing things in the wrong order(본말을 전도하다).
3. Put one’s foot in one’s mouth: saying embarrassing things(실언하다).
4. Beat around the bush: speaking indirectly.
5. Look for a needle in a haystack: doing something difficult.
6. Play with fire: doing something dangerous.
7. Bark up the wrong tree: making mistake.
8. Look out for number one: thinking only about oneself.
9. Take forever and a day: taking really long time.
10. Kill two birds with one stone: accomplishing two things at once.
11. Miss the boat: miss an opportunity.
12. Jump out of frying pan and into the fire: going from bad to worse.
13. Between a rock and a hard place: without any good options.
14. Head and shoulders about the rest: the best.
15. All in a day’s work: nothing out of the ordinary.
16. Jack-of-all-trades: accomplished at many things.
17. Like trying to swim upstream: really difficult or frustrating.
18. One in a million: really wonderful.
19. Off the hook: not responsible any longer.
20. All in the same boat: in the same situation.
21. Like two peas in a pod: exactly alike.
22. A chip off the old block: just like his father.
23. On her last legs: very tired.
24. On the tip of my tongue: an idea that is not in words.
25. Two heads are better than one: It’s good to work together.
26. You could have heard a pin drop: It was really quiet.
27. Six of one, half dozen of the other: It doesn’t matter.
28. To each his own: Everyone has a different opinion.
29. Just my luck: I’m not so fortunate.
30. No sooner said than done: It will be done immediately.
31. His bark is worse than his bite: His words are worse than his actions. (본심은 주둥이 놀리는 것만큼 고약하지 않다.).

32. Where there’s a will, there’s a way: If you want something, you can do it.
33. So far, so good: It’s been going well up to now.
34. Every cloud has a silver lining: Bad things are accompanied by good.
 35. Rome was not built in a day: Everything takes time.
36. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence: You always want what you don’t have.
37. Turn over a new leaf: start over again(처음부터 다시 시작하다).
38. Don’t count your chicken’s before they’re hatched: depend on something you don’t have.
39. Stand on my own two feet: do it myself.
40. Strike while the iron is hot: take advantage of a good opportunity.
41. Hit the nail right on the head: were exactly right.
42. Look before you leap: think before you act.
43. Sink her teeth into: get really involved in.
44. Dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s: pay attention to every detail.
45. Run around like a chicken with its head cut off: act overly nervous and excited.
46. Be a piece of cake: be extremely easy.
47. Let sleeping dogs lie: leave something alone.
48. Have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth: be spoiled cf) Spoil: (아이들 따위를) 버릇 없게 기르다.

The listening part B questions

The conversations are often about some aspect of school life (how difficult a class is, how to write a research
paper, how to register for a course). 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).
1. 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.
2. As you listen to the conversation, draw conclusions about the situation of the conversation: who is
talking, where the conversation takes place, or when it takes place. You will often be asked to make
such inferences about the conversation.
3. Detail questions are generally answered in order in the conversation, and the answers often sound
the same as what is said on the tape.

#1: Determine the Topic – Listen for the topic in the first lines
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.

#2: Draw Conclusions about Who, What, When, Where

1. Who is talking?
2. When does the conversation probably take place?
3. Where does the conversation probably take place?
4. What is the source of information for the conversation?

#3: Listen for Answers in Order

The detail questions are answered in order.

The listening part C questions

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.
1. Listen carefully to the first line of the conversation. The first line of the talk often contains the
main idea, subject, or topic of the talk, and you will often be asked this type of question.
2. As you listen to the talk, draw conclusions about the situation of the talk: who is talking,
where or when the talk takes place, which course this lecture might be given in. You will often
be asked to make such inferences about the talk.
3. Detail questions are generally answered in order in the talk, and the answers often sound the
same as what is said on the tape.

#1: Determine the Topic – Listen for the topic in the first lines
As you listen to each talk in Listening Part C, you should be thinking about the topic (subject) or main idea for each
talk. 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.

#2: Draw Conclusions about Who, What, When, Where

1. Who is talking?
2. When does the talk probably take place?
 3. Where does the talk probably take place?
4. What course is the talk concerned with?
5. What is the source of information for the talk?

#3: Listen for Answers in Order

The detail questions are answered in order.