TOEFL Study Guide Listening

Study Guide for the TOEFL ®
Listening Section
This handy preparation guide lists common types of questions that appear in the
Listening Section and offers vocabulary lessons and practice exercises for each type.
To study with this guide, first read each section to familiarize yourself with the types of
questions that are asked in the TOEFL® Listening Section and to learn tips and tricks
about how to answer them correctly. You may wish to print a copy of the guide so that
you can make notes and highlight areas that you find difficult.
A set of practice exercises follows most sections and beside most questions you will see
“Click HERE to listen”. When you click the bolded text, you will hear the text of the
question being read out loud. While it is possible to listen through multimedia computer
speakers, we recommend using headphones. If you do not already have headphones,
you may purchase a set online here.
Once you’ve listened to the exercise, answer the questions that apply to the text that
you’ve just heard. The correct answers are found at the end of the study guide.
Visit these great websites for more TOEFL® preparation resources!

Study Guide for the TOEFL ®
Listening Section
Contents
1. Overview of the Listening Section

1. What does it test?
2. Part A - Short conversations
3. Part B - Longer conversations
2. Types of questions you may see in the Listening Section

1. Main idea
2. Meaning
3. Action
4. Inferences
5. Tone of voice
6. Words that sound the same
7. Ordering
8. Categorization
9. Vocabulary
10. Idioms
3. The secret to answering multiple-choice questions
4. Practice tests
1. Short conversations (11 questions)

2. Longer conversations (2 questions)
3. Lectures
i) Lecture 1 (5 questions)
ii) Lecture 2 (3 questions)
iii) Lecture 3 (3 questions)
iv) Lecture 4 (4 questions)
5. Answer Key
Listening Section
The Listening section tests your ability to understand spoken English. There are two
main parts in this section:
PART A: Short Conversations

• 11 short dialogues
• 2 longer dialogues
PART B: Longer Conversations

• 1 academic discussion
• 3 mini-lectures
On individual headphones you will hear conversations and talks about student life
(classes, assignments, exams, going to the library, renting an apartment and so on).
After each discussion a number of questions will follow. The skills you will be tested on
include your understanding of what the speakers said or implied as well as knowledge of
English grammar, vocabulary, and idioms.
This section contains a total of 30 to 49 questions. Take as long as you want for each
question, but there is a time limit of 40 to 60 minutes for the overall section. It is wise to
answer as quickly as possible without rushing.
Questions will appear one at a time, and will only be played once. You cannot skip
questions or change answers to previous ones. You also cannot take notes or have any
paper at your computer during this section.
PART A: SHORT CONVERSATIONS
This section consists of about 11 short conversations and 2 longer conversations.
All of the conversations and talks are academic in content.
An image will appear on your screen, and you will hear a brief discussion between two
people. After each conversation, you will be asked a question about the conversation.
Four possible test answers will appear underneath the question; you must pick the best
one.
Example 1
On the recording, you will hear:
________________________________________________________________
Man: Did you study hard for the test?

Woman: You bet! I was up all night.
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You will then see and hear the question before the answer choices appear:
________________________________________________________________
What does the woman mean?

A) She couldn’t study because she was busy all night.
B) She studied instead of sleeping.
C) She bets that she will do fine on the test.
D) She thinks she will get a better mark than the man.
________________________________________________________________
You can select an answer by clicking on the oval beside a question. The oval will darken
to indicate your choice. If you want to change your answer, just click on another oval.
Your first choice will be erased when your new one is selected. To go on to the next
conversation, click “Next” and “Confirm Answer”.
The correct answer to Example 1 is (B). In response to the man‘s question about
whether she studied hard, the woman answered “You bet,” which is an idiom that means
“yes” (see the section on idioms for more information). She then said she was up all
night, which means she studied instead of sleeping.
Example 2
On the recording, you will hear:
________________________________________________________________
Woman: I can’t believe I forgot to bring a pen to write the test!

Man: Don’t worry, I always store extra ones in my locker.
________________________________________________________________
You will then see and hear the question:

________________________________________________________________
What will the woman probably do next?

A) Go to the store and buy a pen.
B) Look in her locker to see if she has one there.
C) Borrow a pen from the man.
D) Ask the professor to delay the test until she finds a pen.
_______________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (C). The man said he had a pen, inferring that he will lend it to her.
See the section on inferences for more information.
PART B: LONGER CONVERSATIONS
This section consists of at least one long conversation, as well as a number of smaller
talks. All of the conversations and talks are academic in content.
The long conversation features multiple speakers, usually a professor and one or two
students discussing a subject. The smaller talks feature one speaker, usually a professor
lecturing to a class.
In this section a series of images will appear on your screen, typically a picture of the
speaker. A picture related to the subject of the conversation may also be displayed.
Each conversation or talk will be followed by a series of questions about what was said.
Although the conversations and talks are academic in nature, you don’t need special
knowledge of the subject to answer the question. You will only need to listen to what the
speakers stated or implied.
Example 1
The topic of the longer conversation will appear on your screen:
________________________________________________________________
Geography
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Professor: Today we’re going to talk a bit about the purpose of Daylight Saving Time.
Student 1: To me, Daylight Saving Time is just a way to mess up my schedule.
Professor: It has a far more useful purpose than that, I assure you! First of all, does
everyone here know the little phrase people say to help them remember how Daylight
Saving time affects their clocks?
Student 2: Of course, it’s “spring ahead, fall back.”
Professor: That’s right. At 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, we set our clocks forward
one hour - we "spring forward". And at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October we “fall
back” by setting our clock back one hour and thus returning to standard time.
Student 1: So that means we “lose” an hour in the spring, and “gain” an hour in the
winter.
Professor: Exactly. Changing to Daylight Saving Time in the spring allows us to use
less energy in lighting our homes by taking advantage of the longer and later daylight
hours. The practice began in the United States during World War I as a way to save
energy for war production. With Congress’ passing of the Uniform Time Act in 1966, the
length of Daylight Saving Time became standardized.
Then you will see and hear the first question:
What was the discussion mainly about?

A) Saving energy for war production
B) How to set your clocks during Daylight Saving Time
C) The reason for Daylight Saving Time
D) How Daylight Saving Time became standardized.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (C). While the professor briefly mentioned how to set your clocks
during Daylight Saving Time and how the practice became standardized, the main point
of the conversation was about the reason for observing Daylight Saving Time. In fact,
the professor said at the start that the discussion was going to be about the purpose of
Daylight Saving Time.
________________________________________________________________
What did the professor say was the reason for observing Daylight Saving Time?
A) It lets us return to standard time.
B) Spring ahead, fall back.
C) Lighting our homes becomes less expensive.
D) It helps limit the consumption of energy in homes.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (D). The professor said: “Changing to Daylight Saving Time in the
spring allows us to use less energy in lighting our homes by taking advantage of the
longer and later daylight hours.”
Example 2
Professor: The term “martial arts” refers to a variety of traditional Asian combat
techniques. These ancient fighting methods are still practiced today for self-defence,
physical and spiritual fitness, law enforcement, recreation and competition. Although
many traditions of the original teachers of the martial arts live on, the styles and
techniques are often adapted to fit modern life and cultures
The origins of the Asian styles of martial arts are shadowed in mystery as they were
commonly practiced in secret and were often developed, taught and refined by people in
religious orders. The Asian fighting methods are believed to have been introduced by
Tibet and India, where they were used by monks as a means of protection and physical
fitness. Over the centuries, the techniques were refined and expanded, giving birth to
new forms of fighting, which were then spread into other parts of Asia
Karate is a generic name used to describe many different types of hand and foot
combat. There are many styles and sub-styles of karate, some that emphasize the use
of power and strength, while others focus on developing precision and speed.
Tae kwon do is a martial art that emphasizes the use of kicking techniques. Besides
being one of the countries most popular sports, it is also still practiced by the Korean
police and military.
Judo is more like wrestling - its main techniques involve throwing and grappling. Judo
fighters spend much of their training in learning how to fall safely when they are thrown,
to minimize their risk of injury.
Tai Chi is a form of exercise that uses the hand and feet movements of martial arts in a
graceful manner to keep the body fit and flexible. It is not a practical form of self-
defence.
________________________________________________________________
Then you will see and hear the first question:

________________________________________________________________
From which two countries did the professor say Asian marital arts were
introduced?
A) China
B) Japan
C) India
D) Tibet
The correct answers are (C) and (D).

________________________________________________________________
Classify the different styles of martial arts the professor described.
Click on a style of martial arts, then click on the space below where it belongs. Use each
style only once.
Judo
Tae kwon do
Tai Chi
Karate
An exercise to keep fit Uses grappling and throws Uses kicking techniques
[ ] [ ] [ ]
________________________________________________________________
The correct answers:
An exercise to keep fit - Tai Chi

Uses grappling and throws - Judo
Uses kicking techniques - Tae Kwon Do
Types of questions you may see in the Listening Section:
1. Main idea
2. Meaning
3. Action
4. Inferences
5. Tone of voice
6. Words that sound the same
7. Ordering
8. Categorization
9. Vocabulary
10. Idiom
Main idea
Examples of main idea questions:
What is the professor mainly discussing?
What is the purpose of the instructor’s talk?
What is the purpose of the talk?
What is the main purpose of the talk?
What is the main topic of the talk?
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Because each conversation in the Listening Section is only played once, many people
find it very difficult to understand what is being discussed.
In some conversations, you might recognize a few words. But do you understand the
main point of the talk? Main idea questions test your understanding of what the
conversation was mainly about.
Here is an example of a main point question that you may see in the Listening Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
Luke: Hi Brian. Are you coming to the concert tonight?

Brian: I’d really like to but I need to finish an essay for history class tomorrow.
Luke: The one on ancient Egyptian civilizations?
Brian: Yeah, I haven’t finished it yet.
Luke: But haven’t you heard? The professor gave us an extension until next Monday.
Brian: Really? That’s excellent!
Luke: So I’ll pick you up at 8 p.m.?
Brian: You’re on!
THEN YOU WILL SEE:
What is the discussion mainly about?

A) Whether Brian can come to a concert
B) An essay about ancient Egyptian civilizations
C) Asking the professor for an extension
D) What time the concert starts.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (A). (B) is incorrect because though they mentioned that the essay
was on ancient Egyptian civilizations, that wasn’t what the discussion was mostly about -
the talk was about whether Brian could come to the concert. (C) is wrong because the
professor has already given an extension - they don’t need to ask for one. (D) is also
incorrect.
Sometimes the Listening Section will have multiple choice questions that require you to
select two answers:
________________________________________________________________
Which two things were the speakers discussing?

A) Finishing homework for class
B) The history of ancient Egyptian civilizations
C) Going to a concert
D) Asking the professor for an extension
________________________________________________________________
The correct answers are (A) and (C). (B) is incorrect -- they just mentioned the essay
was on ancient Egyptian civilizations; they weren’t discussing Egyptian history. (D) is
also wrong because the professor has already granted an extension.
Main idea
EXERCISES - write your answers on a sheet of paper. The correct answers can be
found at the back of the book.
1. Click HERE to listen.

Woman: I can’t believe my computer crashed while I was writing my essay!
Man: That’s terrible! Did you lose all your work?
Woman: Yes -- ten pages. I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Man: My friend works in the computer department. Often he salvages work from broken
computers. I’ll take it in for you tomorrow; maybe he can fix it.
What is the main topic of this conversation?
A) The woman’s computer broke.

B) The woman crashed her car.
C) The woman’s essay is terrible and needs editing.
D) The woman’s computer is too slow.
________________________________________________________________

Professor: Many people feel tired and lazy during the winter months. They might feel
sad or eat and sleep more than usual. About 10 percent of people in northern areas
suffer from what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a temporary period
of depression caused by a lack of exposure to natural sunlight. The result is a disruption
of the body's daily cycles. The symptoms of SAD can be softened by regular exercise
and exposure to bright light.
What is the main point of this lecture?

A) Bright light can soften your skin.
B) Many people overeat and are lazy.
C) SAD is a common winter depression.
D) Everyone who feels lazy and depressed in the winter has SAD.
________________________________________________________________

Professor: At the end of the twentieth century, astronomers began to discover planets
orbiting stars other than our own sun. Planets are much harder to detect because they
are so much smaller and fainter than stars. How do scientists find them? They measure
tiny wobbles in a star’s orbit, which are caused by the gravitational pull of the planet.
Scientists have yet to discover a planet like Earth that can sustain human life, but many
are convinced it’s just a matter of time.

A) Scientists have discovered planets orbiting other stars.
B) Scientists have found stars with strong gravitational pulls.
C) Many scientific breakthroughs came in the twentieth century.
D) Plants can be sustained with proper care.
________________________________________________________________
Professor: Because grasslands make ideal farming land, increased human populations
led to increased domestication of the plains. As a result, many of the prairies’ resident
populations have dropped severely.
Not a hundred years ago, cheetahs freely roamed most of Africa and south-western Asia
with numbers hovering around 100,000. Today, their habitat has shrunk to a small area
in Iran and a few areas in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Their population began to diminish not only because of the domestication of their
traditional habitat, but also because the ranchers and farmers considered the cheetah as
a danger to their domesticated stocks and killed them as a protection measure.

A) Cheetahs used to roam Africa freely.
B) Grasslands are ideal for farming.
C) Cheetahs are dangerous to farm life.
D) Cheetahs are a dwindling species
________________________________________________________________

Professor: Ancient Greek philosophers used the word atom to describe the smallest
unit of matter that cannot be separated into further parts. That the atom is in fact
indivisible was believed well into the 19th century, until the French physicist Antoine
Henri Becquerel found that certain substances, such as uranium salts, give off
permeating rays of an unknown origin. The discovery of such emissions challenged the
existing theories of the atom’s indivisibility.

A) Greek philosophy changed the way we look at science.
B) Atoms cannot be seen by the naked eye.
C) The idea of the undividable atom changed after the 1800’s.
D) Solar emissions often permeate the earth’s atmosphere.
Meaning
Examples of meaning questions:
What does the man mean?

What did the woman suggest?
What did the man infer?
________________________________________________________________
Meaning questions are very common in the Listening Section. One speaker will say
something to another speaker, and afterward you will be asked to explain what the
speaker was saying. Most of the time, you will be asked what the second speaker
meant, so pay close attention.
Here is an example of a meaning question that you might see in the Listening Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
Woman: I’m afraid I don’t have enough money for the movie.
Man: Don’t worry, I’ll get it.
THEN YOU WILL SEE:
What does the man mean ?

A) He is going to get some popcorn.
B) They should sit next to the aisle.
C) The woman should not be scared of the movie.
D) The man will pay for the movie.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (D). After the woman said she didn’t have enough money for the
movie, the man said “I’ll get it”, meaning he will pay for her ticket.
Meaning

Man: Sorry I didn’t call you to go out last night. I completely forgot that I had to study for
a test.
Woman: No problem. I was tired anyway.

A) She had no difficulty with the test.
B) She was too tired to study for the test.
C) She is not upset with the man.
D) She couldn’t find any way to get to the man’s house.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: I heard you got perfect on the test.
Man: You better believe it!

A) It’s true that he received a perfect mark.
B) The woman will believe anything she hears.
C) He did better than the woman.
D) The woman did better than him.
________________________________________________________________

Professor: The spider, an arachnid, can be classified neither as an insect nor a bug.
What does the professor mean?

A) Spiders are either insects or bugs.
B) Insects, bugs, and spiders cannot be classified.
C) Spiders are not part of the insect or bug families.
D) Arachnids are not spiders.
________________________________________________________________

Man: Have you heard about the textbook for this class?
Woman: No. What do you mean?
Man: It costs $150.
Woman: Yikes! That’s crazy!

A) The woman does not have any money.
B) The woman is surprised by the cost of the book.
C) The woman thinks the man is lying.
D) The woman already has a copy of the book.
Woman: How’s your biology project going?
Man: Actually, I’ve been so busy with errands that I’ve hardly started the assignment.

A) He has made many errors on the project.
B) He has been busy at work on the assignment.
C) He’s having difficulty with the project.
D) He has not really begun the project.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: Next week I have to present a seminar for my astronomy class on the role of
small telescopes in discovering new planets.
Which answer most closely summarizes the woman’s statement?

A) She is going to be speaking in front of the class.
B) She has perfect attendance in all of her classes.
C) Next week she will take a role in a play.
D) Next week she will write an essay on plant life.
________________________________________________________________

Professor: Julie, I noticed you were absent from class yesterday. Did you sleep in?
Julie: Actually, I was involved in a traffic accident on the way to school.
What does Julie mean?

A) She is apologizing for accidentally sleeping in.
B) She was caught in traffic.
C) She was in a car crash.
D) She was involved in another project and couldn’t come to school.
________________________________________________________________

Man: We’re on our way to Len’s to play some board games. Would you like to come?
Woman: I have to finish these math exercises. It should take another hour at least.
Man: Why don’t you stop by afterward?

A) The woman should stop doing her homework and take a break.
B) The woman should come to Len’s house when she is finished her work.
C) He wonders why the woman is doing the work.
D) He wonders why the woman won’t come to Len’s house.
Woman: I have to do some research for my history class. Would you be able to drive me
to the library?
Man: You bet! While I’m there I’ll take out some new CDs.

A) He is upset with the woman.
B) He wants her to bring him home some new music.
C) He will accompany her.
D) He will drive, but it will be a while before they can go.
________________________________________________________________

Professor: Though the spectacled bear mostly feeds on vegetation, it occasionally
preys on small livestock in rural areas where the animals are not supervised.
What does the professor mean?

A) The bear often breaks into farms.
B) Small farms are a large source of produce.
C) The farmer with the glasses was praying for rain.
D) Small towns often have problems with wildlife.
Action
Examples of action questions:
What does the man/woman suggest the woman/man do?

What will the man/woman probably do?
What will the man/woman probably do next?
________________________________________________________________
This type of question asks you about the action in a conversation: what the speakers
have done, what they are doing, or what they are planning to do. Usually these
questions ask either what the second speaker will do, or what the second speaker
recommends the first speaker do.
Action questions often require you to look at the verbs -- action words like go, biking, and
being -- in the dialogue.
Here is an example of an action question that you may see in the Listening Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
After work my husband and I are going to go shopping for a new television set.
THEN YOU WILL SEE:
What is the woman planning to do?

A) Watch television after work
B) Go shopping for a new set of cutlery.
C) Visit her husband at work.
D) Purchase a new T.V. from an appliance store.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (D). . By looking at the verb phrase in this sentence -- going to go
shopping -- you can tell that the woman is planning to buy some something from a store.
T.V. is a common short form for television.
Action

Woman: What a game!
Man: Yeah. I haven’t had a such good work out in such a long time.
What were the two most likely doing?

A) Watching a baseball game.
B) Playing chess.
C) Driving home from work.
D) Having a match of tennis.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: I’ll meet you in the cafeteria after I renew these texts.
Where is the woman most likely going?

A) To a bookstore.
B) To a library.
C) To see her professor for help with the test.
D) To write the test.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: What do you want to do for supper?
Man: Actually, I’m still stuffed from the buffet at the party.
What is the man going to do?

A) Eat and then go to the party.
B) Go to the party without eating.
C) Have a stuffed turkey at the buffet.
D) Eat nothing.
________________________________________________________________

Man: It looks like I might have taken a wrong turn.
Woman: Maybe we should stop somewhere for directions.
What is the pair doing?

A) Playing a board game.
B) Riding in a vehicle.
C) Dancing.
D) Watching animals at the zoo.
Mark: Hey Margaret. Do you want to come out for lunch?
Margaret: That sounds great, Mark, but I have an English test this period. Otherwise, I’d
love to come along.
What is Margaret going to do?

A) Go out for lunch with Mark
B) Write the test and then go for lunch with Mark.
C) Stay at school.
D) Study for the test during lunch with Mark.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: The scenery is breathtaking up here.
Man: Yes, but the turbulence is making me nauseous.
What are the two most likely doing?

A) Riding in an airplane.
B) Hiking up a mountain.
C) Going to the hospital in an ambulance.
D) Taking a boat ride.
________________________________________________________________

Man: We’re playing board games tonight if you want to come over.
Woman: Thanks for the offer. I’ve got some housework to do, though, so think I’ll pass.
What is the woman probably going to do tonight?

A) Study so she can pass the test.
B) Play games with her friends at the man’s house.
C) Go to work.
D) Stay at home.
________________________________________________________________

Man: Do you want to go bowling tonight?
Woman: But don’t you have to help your mother move her new couches?
Man: Well, I guess I did promise her that I would.
What is the man probably going to do tonight?

A) Help carry the furniture.
B) Go out with the woman.
C) Buy new furniture for his mother.
D) Promise to visit his mother another time.
Woman: Take a right at Main Street, keep on going until you hit River Road and it’s the
second building on the right.
What is the woman doing?

A) Discussing human rights.
B) Giving directions.
C) Talking about a theatrical production.
D) Taking to construction workers.
________________________________________________________________

Man: We’re going to be late for Caleb’s birthday party if we don’t hurry.
Woman: Let me just finish wrapping his present.
What will the woman probably do next?

A) Wrap the present on the way to the party.
B) Stop wrapping the present and hurry to the party.
C) Wrap the present and then go to the party.
D) Let the man finish wrapping the present.
Inferences
Examples of inference questions:
What can be inferred about the woman?

What does the woman imply?
What can be inferred about the conversation?
What does the man imply about….?
________________________________________________________________
An inference is the act of making a conclusion based on factual information.
In some conversations, speakers will suggest something but not state it outright. In order
to answer a question, you may have to draw a conclusion from hints in the conversation.
Here is an example of an inference question that you may see in the Listening Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
Woman: Some friends and I are going to the park at 3 p.m. Would you like to come?
Man: I’m afraid I work all afternoon.
Which of the following is true?

A) The man is afraid to be out in public.
B) The man can come out after noon.
C) The man cannot come to the park.
D) The man will come and work out in the park.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (C). The man said he works all afternoon. Therefore, you can
conclude that he will not be able to come to the park.
Inferences of Time and Location
Some questions in the Listening Section might ask people to make inferences about
where or when a conversation is taking place based on clues from the discussion:
________________________________________________________________
Man: I want to send this box of chocolates to a sick friend in room 134 at McKellar
Hospital. How much will it cost?
Woman: For a box that size, the total will be $1.39.
Where did this conversation most likely take place?

A) A convenience store
B) A post office
C) A hospital
D) A chocolate store
________________________________________________________________
Though the speakers do not say where the conversation is taking place, we can figure it
out from clues in the discussion. The correct answer is (B). The man is asking the cost to
send a box of chocolates to a sick friend -- he must be in a post office.
(A) and (D) are incorrect because he already has the box chocolates -- he does not need
to buy them so he can’t be in a store. (C) is also wrong: he can’t be at the hospital
because he’s trying to mail a package to the hospital.
Inferences

Man: Would you like to come to the mall with me this afternoon?
Woman: What a coincidence! I actually have to go there anyway to buy a new shirt.
What does the woman infer?

A) She can’t go because she has to buy a new shirt
B) She will go to the mall with the man.
C) She can’t go because she has to go to the dentist.
D) She will go but only after she finds a shirt to wear.
________________________________________________________________

Waiter: Here are your drinks. Would you like to see a menu as well?
Man: Actually, I just ate.
What can be inferred here?

A) The man actually wants eight menus for his friends.
B) The man would like to see a menu.
C) The man is hungry.
D) The man doesn’t want to see a menu.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: Hello. Can I take your order?
What does the woman do?

A) She’s a bus driver.
B) She’s a hair dresser.
C) She’s a waitress.
D) She’s a secretary.
________________________________________________________________

Man: It looks like we’re going to have to replace your muffler. While I’m at it I can give
you a tune-up as well.
What does the man do?

A) He’s a mechanic.
B) He’s a doctor.
C) He’s pilot.
D) He’s a plumber.
Man: These materials are all due back next week. You can drop them in the slot outside
if we are closed.
Where does this conversation most likely take place?

A) At a restaurant
B) At a hardware store
C) At a hospital.
D) At a library.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: Can you please tell me where the baking products are?
Man: Certainly. Aisle three, halfway down on the left side.
Where does this conversation most likely take place?

A) At a museum
B) At a kitchenware store
C) At a grocery store.
D) At a clothing store
________________________________________________________________

Counter clerk: I’m sorry, sir, we just stopped serving breakfast. That menu is only
available until noon.
At which of the following times does this conversation most likely take place?
A) 9 a.m.
B) 12:30 p.m.
C) 5 p.m.
D) 10:30 p.m.
________________________________________________________________

Man: There was nothing interesting on the front page, so the man turned to the sports
section.
What can be inferred?

A) The man is an athlete.
B) The man never reads sports stories.
C) The man is reading a newspaper.
D) The man is in the sporting goods section of a mall.
________________________________________________________________
Woman: What a terrible day to forget my umbrella at home!

A) The woman is not having a good day.
B) It’s raining out.
C) The woman is going to go back home for her umbrella.
D) The woman is often forgetful.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: The audience gave the symphony a standing ovation at the end of the concert.

A) The music was enjoyable.
B) The audience’s sympathy was appreciated.
C) Everyone in the audience needed to stand and stretch their legs at the end of the
concert.
D) The musicians’ innovation was second to none.
Tone of voice
People often give clues to what they mean by their tone of voice. Most often they do this
by raising the pitch of their voice to emphasize a certain word. This lets other people
know what words are the most important in a sentence. Often, words are emphasized to
clear up confusion about something the speaker has said previously.
Take a look at the following sentences. Though each one is comprised of the same
words, each has a different meaning because of the stresses on certain words:
I was the president of Smallville’s chess By putting the stress on “I”, the speaker is
club. trying to clear up confusion about who the
president was. It means: “I was the
president of the chess club, not someone
else.”
I was the president of Smallville’s chess A stress on “was” is a good way to no
club. longer part of the club. It means: “I used to
be the president, but I’m not anymore.”
I was the president of Smallville’s chess By stressing the word “the”, the speaker is
club. clarifying that there was only one
president in the club, and that he was it. It
means: “I was the main person in charge,
not just one of a group of presidents.”
I was the president of Smallville’s chess The speaker stresses the job title to clear
club. up confusion about what he did for the
club. It means: “I was the president, not
the secretary.”
I was the president of Smallville’s chess Stressing “Smallville” clears up confusion
club. about where the club was located. It
means: “I was the president of the club in
Smallville, not the one in Vancouver.”
I was the president of Smallville’s chess By stressing the word “chess”, the
club. speaker clears up confusion about what
kind of club he belonged to. It means: “I
was part of a chess club, not part of a
photography club.”
Here is an example of a tone of voice question that you may see in the Listening
Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
Man: Have you ever played chess before?

Woman: Ha ha! Have I?

A) The woman has played chess a lot.
B) The woman does not have a chess board.
C) The woman is not sure if she has played before.
D) The woman has never played chess before.
The correct answer is (A). The tone of the woman’s voice suggests that it is a silly
question to ask whether she plays chess -- of course she does.
People also change their tone of voice when they are asking questions. The voice
always tends to rise higher at the end of a question sentence.
Intonation questions are questions that are written like a declarative statement, but
because of the speaker’s higher pitch of voice at the end it is understood as a question.
For example:
Intonation question Meaning

You’re the new president of the company? Are you really the new president of the
company?
She hasn’t even started her homework? Has she not started her homework?
It’s your birthday? Is it your birthday? I didn’t know that!
Here is an example of an intonation question that you may see in the Listening Section:
YOU WILL HEAR:

Woman: You’re moving to Canada?

A) I know you are moving to Canada.
B) When are you moving to Canada?
C) You moved to Canada? I didn’t know that!
D) Are you moving to Canada? No one told me that!
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (D). The woman’s question implies that didn’t know that
the other person is moving to Canada, and that she is shocked.
Tone of voice

Man: Have you ever played chess before?
Woman: Ha ha! Have I?

A) The woman has played chess a lot.
B) The woman does not have a chess board.
C) The woman is not sure if she has played before.
D) The woman has never played chess before.
________________________________________________________________

Man: Last night I went to see that new romantic movie.
Woman: You went to see that?
What can?
A) The woman is upset that he didn’t ask her to come.
B) The woman is surprised that the man went to see the movie.
C) The woman thought highly of the movie.
D) The woman has not seen the movie.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: I’m having Marie over for dinner tonight.
Man: You’re friends with her?
What can be inferred from this conversation?

A) The man thinks the woman’s friends are wonderful people.
B) The man wants to know if Marie’s friends are coming with her.
C) The man did not think Marie and the woman were friends.
________________________________________________________________

Man: That thing is your new car?
From his tone of voice, what does the man most likely mean?
A) The man does not know which car belongs to the other person.
B) The man is not impressed by the car.
C) The man is wondering if the other person owns that car.
D) The man thinks he has an uglier car than the other person.
Woman: You took the kids skydiving?
What can be inferred from this conversation?

A) The woman wants to know if her husband took the kids skydiving.
B) The woman wants to know who her husband took skydiving.
C) The woman is not pleased with the activity her husband planned for the kids.
D) The woman is happy that her husband is spending time with the kids.
________________________________________________________________
Order
This type of question might follow a longer conversation or lecture. Based on information
given in the talk, you will need to list a number of events in chronological order:
ordering events from the one that happened first to the one that happened last.
There are usually four sentences that you will need to put in correct chronological order.
Order questions do not refer to pictures and diagrams in the lectures and discussions;
they are based on what was spoken. They are usually based on a series of events
explained in the lecture or discussion.
Example: The professor briefly explains a process. Summarize the process by putting
the events in order.
________________________________________________________________
Narrator: Click on a sentence. Then click on the space where it belongs. Use each
sentence only once.
Soak coffee beans in flavoured water Dry and roast the coffee beans
Filter out caffeine with a carbon filter Soak coffee beans in pure water
1 2.
3. 4.
_______________________________________________________________
Categorization
Like order questions, this type of question also follows a longer conversation or lecture.
You will be asked to group three or four items based on information from the talk.
Example: The professor briefly discusses the works of William Shakespeare.

________________________________________________________________
Narrator: Classify the different genres of Shakespearean plays the professor described.
Click on a title of a Shakespeare play, then click on the space below where it
belongs. Use each style only once.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Macbeth
Henry VIII
Comedy History Tragedy

[ ] [ ] [ ]
________________________________________________________________
Words that sound the same

As you know, each multiple choice question in the Listening Section has four answer
choices: the correct answer plus three other wrong answers. These wrong answers are
known as “distractors” because they are meant to take your attention away from the
correct answer.
A large number of distractors in the Listening Section feature words that sound the same
as words in the correct answer. This tests how well you understand the conversation
because if you don’t hear it clearly, you might incorrectly choose an answer with similar-
sounding word. Take a look at the following question for example:
________________________________________________________________
Woman: Are you prepared for the test on Friday?

Man: Actually, I have no idea what to study. Can you point me in the right direction?
Narrator: What does the man mean?
A) He has a doctor’s appointment and can’t be there to write the test.

B) He thinks the test is an ideal way to test the class’ knowledge.
C) He doesn’t know what to study and wants to know what will be on the test.
D) He knows what to study for the test.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (C). The man said he doesn’t know what’s on the test and asked
the woman for help. (A), (B), and (D) are the distractors.
(A) features a sound-alike distracter: “appointment”. The word “appointment” sounds

similar to the word “point” in the conversation. If you didn’t hear the conversation clearly,
you might pick this answer.
(B) features the sound-alike distracter “ideal”. It sounds similar to the word “idea” in the
conversation.
(D) does not feature a sound-alike word, but is also incorrect. In fact, it is the opposite of
the right answer -- the man said he does not know what to study. Opposites are also
very common as distractors, so watch out for them!
________________________________________________________________
Words that sound the same

Homonyms are two words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean two
different things. For example, dear and deer, pause and paws, and sea and see are
homonyms.
One of the incorrect answer choices in a question in the Listening Section may feature a
homonym of a word from the conversation.
Listen to each sentence. After, choose the correct homonym that was used in the
conversation.
________________________________________________________________

It is frustrating when you’re grocery shopping and people are blocking the ___________.
aisle
i’ll
________________________________________________________________

Every Thanksgiving we have a turkey dinner at my ________________ house.
ants
aunt’s
The crowd was ______________________ by the loud and colourful display of
fireworks.
awed
odd
________________________________________________________________

That movie was so sad! I _______________ through the entire showing.
bald
bawled
________________________________________________________________

The ______________________ that we went to see last night was a jazz trio who
played standards.
band
banned
________________________________________________________________

A __________ is a winged insect that feeds on pollen as a protein source and on flower
nectar as an energy source.
be
bee
________________________________________________________________

The rotary club in my town has ______________________ putting on annual fundraising
dinners for decades.
been
bean
________________________________________________________________

After he made a wish, the boy ______________________ out the candles on his
birthday cake.
blew
blue
________________________________________________________________
The bear was drawn to our campsite by the __________ of the food we left out
overnight.
cent
scent
sent
________________________________________________________________

I am one of those people who believe in love at first ___________.
cite
sight
site
________________________________________________________________

My mom always yells at me to pick the _________________ up from my bedroom floor.
clothes
close
________________________________________________________________

While we were driving through the national park, we saw a _________________ by the
side of the road.
dear
deer
________________________________________________________________

The essay on major British writers of the nineteenth century is _________________
next Wednesday.
dew
do
due
________________________________________________________________

My grandmother, whose black hair greyed years ago, always _________________ her
hair bright silver.
dies
dyes
________________________________________________________________

In order to ride the subway, you must first pay the $2 _________________ .
fair
fare
________________________________________________________________

Because I always walk barefoot in the summer, my _________________ are cracked
and calloused.
feat
feet
________________________________________________________________

On Saturday, we took our _________________-year-old nephew on a tour of the zoo.
for
four
________________________________________________________________

Because a tennis racket costs so much brand _________________, I purchased one at
the thrift store.
knew
new
________________________________________________________________

The teacher’s terrible pun drew a large _________________ from the audience.
groan
grown
________________________________________________________________

Because my dad is bald, I am worried that one day my ______________________ will
fall out, too.
hair
hare
________________________________________________________________
The clothing store at the end of the block is looking to ______________________ a
sales clerk.
higher
hire
________________________________________________________________

The news can be heard on that radio station every ______________________.
hour
our
________________________________________________________________

My mother, a devout Catholic, once pondered becoming a _____________________.
none
nun
________________________________________________________________

We can’t take the boat out on the lake because it is missing an ______________.
oar
or
ore
________________________________________________________________

The baseball team that ______________________ the game today now goes on to the
finals.
one
won
________________________________________________________________

The dog had to be taken in to the veterinarian because it had thorns caught in its
______________.
pause
paws
________________________________________________________________
The ______________ of Elizabeth I, Queen of England, spanned from 1558 to 1603.
rain
reign
rein
________________________________________________________________

The book I ______________ last year has now been adapted into a full-length motion
picture.
red
read
________________________________________________________________

Some people ______________ their hands when they are nervous.
ring
wring
________________________________________________________________

Though there are legends about a giant creature named Bigfoot, no one can prove that
they’ve ______________________ it.
scene
seen
________________________________________________________________

Some people who are used to swimming in freshwater lakes do not like the saltiness of
the ______________.
see
sea
________________________________________________________________

I didn’t get tickets to the concert I wanted to see ______________________ I just spent
the whole night watching TV at home.
sew
so
________________________________________________________________
One of my favorite things to do on a hot summer day is to go out for an ice cream
______________________.
sundae
sunday
________________________________________________________________

The sign in the park said that people should keep ______________________ dogs on a
leash.
they’re
their
there
________________________________________________________________

My best friend is going to Mexico for spring break. I wish I was going _____________.
to
too
two
________________________________________________________________

When we were hiking I stubbed my ______________________ on a large rock.
toe
tow
________________________________________________________________

I didn’t do any laundry this week, and now I have nothing to ______________________!
wear
where
ware
Vocabulary
A number of questions in the Listening Section will test your understanding of difficult
English words.
Most vocabulary questions are meaning questions (please see the section on meaning).
After a conversation that features a difficult word, you will hear the narrator ask a
meaning question such as: “What did the man/woman mean?”
Here is an example of a vocabulary question that you may see in the Listening Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
Boy: Do you think there will be a pop quiz again today?

Girl: Undoubtedly!
What does the girl mean?

A) She doubts that there will be another quiz.
B) She thinks that there will definitely be another quiz.
C) She is unsure if there will be a quiz.
D) She doesn’t want to talk to the boy.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (B). “Undoubtedly” means without a doubt, certainly, definitely.
If you don’t understand the word, this type of question can be very difficult. Often it is
helpful to look at the visual pictures on your computer screen and the context of the
sentence to try to guess the meaning of the word.
The good news is that many English nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs each have
distinctive suffixes - their word endings. So if you can recognize a suffix you can often
identify a part of speech. This context may help you figure out what the word means.
Part of speech Definition Examples

Nouns People, places, or mayor, Calgary, book
things
Verbs Action words run, bike, be
Adverbs Tells how, where, Happily, rarely
or when (usually continually
ends in -ly or -ally)
Adjectives Describing words Quiet, yellow, sunny
Here is a list of common suffixes to help you:
Nouns
Suffix Example
-age courage
-al critical
-ance - assistance infancy
ancy
-er/ -or driver doctor
-ing Camping
-ism Terrorism
-ist Terrorist
-ity activity
-ment tournament
-ness happiness
-ogy biology
-ship championship
-tion action
Verbs
Suffix Example
-ed died
-en taken
-fy justify
-ing going
-ise/ - analyse realize
ize
-s jogs
Adjectives
Suffix Example
-able likable
-al normal
-d/ -ed tired
-er older
-est ugliest
-ful youthful
-ing charming
-ious anxious
-ish brutish
-istic realistic
-ive active
-ous glamorous
Adverbs
Suffix Example
-ally hypothetically
-ly usually
Phrases with come

Come between: To not let someone or something spoil what is good. For example, you
could say, “Don’t let one little argument come between us.” Come between is a phrasal,
or two-word, verb.
Come by: To get. For example, you could say, “How did you come by that painting?”
Come by is a phrasal, or two-word, verb.
Come across: To find or meet by chance. For example, you could say, “I was cleaning
my desk and came across this old letter.” Come across is a phrasal, or two-word, verb.
Come in for: To be criticized or praised for something you have done. For example, you
could say, “Our section came in for praise after the report was handed in.” Come in is a
phrasal, or three-word, verb.
Come off: To happen successfully or as planned. For example, you could say, “The risk of
investing all our money came off and we made a fortune.” Come off is a phrasal, or two-
word, verb.
Come from: To be born and live as a child in a particular place. For example, you could say,
“Pedro comes from Mexico City, but now he lives in Merida.” Come from is a phrasal, or two-
word, verb.
Come to: To reach a decision or a conclusion. For example, you could say, “It was several
months before my girlfriend came to a decision whether to marry me.” Come to is a phrasal,
or two-word, verb.
Phrases with be
To be good at: To have the necessary skill to do something. You could say, “He is good
at driving.” For this definition, the adjective ‘good’ is always followed by the preposition
‘at’.
To be afraid of: To feel fear about something or someone. You could say, “I’m afraid of
ghosts.” For this definition, the adjective ‘afraid’ is always followed by the preposition ‘of’.
To be interested in: To devote time to something because of curiosity or enjoyment.

You could say, “I’m interested in English grammar.” For this definition, the adjective
‘interested’ is always followed by the preposition ‘in’.
To be nice to: To show friendliness to a person or an animal. You could say, “My
teacher is nice to everyone in the class.” For this definition, the adjective ‘nice’ is always
followed by the preposition ‘to’.
To be different from: Not to be the same as something or somebody else. You could
say, “Alice is very different from her sister.” For this definition, the adjective ‘different’ is
always followed by the preposition ‘from’.
To be similar to: To share some, but not all, characteristics. You could say, “An alligator
is similar to a crocodile.” For this definition, the adjective ‘similar’ is always followed by
the preposition ‘to’.
To be typical of: To have most of the qualities shared by others of a type. You could
say, “This dish is typical of Italian cooking.” For this definition, the adjective ‘typical’ is
always followed by the preposition ‘of’.
Airplane words
Gate: In an airport, the point at which a particular flight arrives and departs. You could
say, “My flight leaves from Gate 23.”
Terminal: A building used by passengers when travelling by air, rail, road, or sea. You
could say, “This airport has three terminals: one for international flights, one for domestic
flights, and one for charter flights.”
Boarding pass: A special ticket showing that a passenger has checked in and may
board their plane. You could say, “My seat number is printed on the boarding pass.”
Departures lounge: An area at the airport where departing passengers can wait until
their aircraft is ready. You could say, “Please wait in the departures lounge until your
flight is ready.”
Duty-free: Being free of taxes on products such as cigarettes, perfume, and alcohol.
You could say, “I bought some duty-free perfume at a duty-free store at the airport.”
Immigration officer: At an airport, a government official responsible for checking

passengers’ passports. You could say, “The immigration officer asked me how long I will
be spending in the country.”
Baggage claim: The place where passengers go to find their luggage at the end of a
flight. You could say, “The baggage claim is in the basement of the airport.”
Irregular past participles

Stridden: The past participle of stride: to walk with long regular steps. You could say,
“She had stridden across the room and demanded to talk with her boss.”
Borne: The past participle of bear: to be able to endure something. You could say, “He
couldn’t have borne to hear them sing another note.”
Swum: The past participle of swim: to move through the water. You could say, “She had
already swum five lengths of the pool before I had swum one.”
Flown: The past participle of fly: to travel through the air using wings or an engine. You
could say, “He had flown on the Concorde.”
Lain: The past participle of lie: to stretch out on a surface. You could say, “I have lain in
the sun too long.”
Slid: The past participle of slide: to move smoothly across a surface. You could say,
“She had slid across the ice.”
Begun: The past participle of begin: to start something. You could say, “I have begun a
new book.”
Slang words
Slang: A word or expression that is used in very casual speech or writing. Slang words
are replacements for more standard words. They are usually not considered suitable for
formal situations. See the next several words of the day for examples of slang.
Blast: A slang word that means “a lot of fun”. For example, if you enjoyed a party, you
could say, "That party was a blast!"
Bomb: A slang word that means something is very disappointing. For example, if the
party you went to was boring, you could say "That party bombed."
The bomb: The last slang word was “bomb” (something that is disappointing). Don’t
confuse it with “the bomb” which means to be excellent or the best. For example, if you
see a movie that you really liked, you could say, “The Matrix was the bomb.”.
Bust: A slang word. You use it when you expected something to be good and it turns
out to be bad. For example, if you were all excited about going to a party but the party
was awful, you could then say, “The party was a bust.”
Compound words and word pairs

Fast food: Food that is cheap and is prepared and served quickly in a restaurant. Pizza
and hamburgers are fast foods. For example, you could say, “We don’t have much time.
Let’s find some fast food and eat it in the car.” Fast food is a compound noun.
Brain drain: A brain drain is the loss of many highly skilled and educated people from
one country to another country. For example, you could say, “If the brain drain
continues, there will only be a few nuclear scientists left.” Brain drain is a compound
noun.
Proof-read: Proof-read is to read text in order to find and correct content, grammar, and
vocabulary mistakes. For example, you could say, “My English teacher makes me proof
read my essay three times before she accepts it.” Proof-read is a compound verb.
Outfox: Outfox is to trick someone. For example, you could say, “I outfoxed my friend by
telling him the wrong information.” Outfox is a compound verb.
Heart-to-heart: A heart-to-heart conversation is very personal. For example, you could

say, “We had a heart-to-heart conversation, and she told me exactly how she felt.”
Heart-to-heart is a compound adjective.
Tight-fitting: Tight-fitting refers to clothes that fit tightly around the body. You can also
say skin-tight. For example, you could say, “Her tight-fitting (skin-tight) jeans ripped
when she bent over.” Tight-fitting is a compound adjective.
Thin-skinned: A thin-skinned person is easily hurt or offended by criticism. For

example, you could say, “Don’t tell her that you don’t like her sweater: she’s very thin-
skinned.” Thin-skinned is a compound adjective.
Christmas words
Eggnog: A drink made with cream, eggs, sugar, spice, and sometimes an alcoholic
beverage such as brandy or rum. Served in the winter, especially during the holidays.
Poinsettia: A Central American plant that has bright red petals surrounding a cluster of
tiny yellow flowers. It is popular as a winter houseplant, especially during the holidays.
Gingerbread House: A toy house made from ginger-flavored cookies and candies.
Gingerbread houses are used as tasty winter decorations, especially during the holidays.
Wreath: A round arrangement of flowers and greenery hung on the door as a winter
decoration, especially during the holidays.
Candy Cane: A candy cane is a red and white striped peppermint hard candy. It is
shaped like a walking stick and is used as a tasty winter decoration, especially during
the holidays.
Mistletoe: An evergreen leaf with white berries. A bunch of mistletoe is traditionally used
as a winter decoration during the holidays. In some countries there is a tradition that you
should kiss a person standing under the mistletoe.
Glogg: Glogg is a hot drink that originated in Scandinavia and is drunk during the
holidays. Glogg is made with red wine and brandy and is flavored with sugar, spices,
raisins, and almonds.
Candied Yams: Candied yams are a popular holiday dessert. Candied yams are made
with sweet potatoes, butter, and brown sugar. One of the more festive styles includes
marshmallows on top!
Holly: An evergreen shrub with bright red berries. The holly leaves and berries are used
as a decoration around the house, especially during the holidays.
Carol: A joyful song, especially a Christian song celebrating Christmas. In some

countries groups of singers enjoy the tradition of going from house to house singing
carols.
Ornament: An ornament is a small decoration that is displayed for its beauty. In some
countries, during the holidays there is the tradition of hanging small ornaments on a fir or
evergreen tree that is brought into the house.
Yule Log: A large log traditionally placed in the fireplace and burnt during the holiday
season. The Yule log is often decorated with holly and sprinkled with oil, salt, and wine.
A Yule log is also the name of a holiday cake shaped like a log.
Resolution: A decision to make a change in your life. In some countries, during the New
Year’s celebration, people make resolutions to start something new or give up a bad
habit. Popular New Year’s resolutions include the promise to exercise more or quit
smoking.
Auld Lang Syne: A song that is sung at midnight in almost every English-speaking
country in the world to bring in the new year. An old Scottish tune, “Auld Lang Syne”
means “old long ago” or, more simply, “the good old days.”
Skiing words
Alpine (adjective): Anything found in the high mountains. You could say, “Stowe is a
charming alpine village in the Green Mountains of Vermont.”
Snowboard (noun): A board that somebody stands on to slide down a snow-covered

mountain. A snowboard has bindings for the feet and is used without ski poles. You
could say, “My snowboard turns really fast on hard snow.”
Downhill (adjective): Relating to skiing down a mountain. You could say, “I went
downhill skiing yesterday and fell on my face in the snow.”
Cross-country Ski (verb): To ski on long narrow skis on fairly level ground. You can
say, “I cross-country skied across the frozen lake.”
Lodge (noun): A lodge is a vacation complex that provides meals, overnight

accommodations, and where some type of outdoor sport can be played. You could say,
“When I went skiing in Stowe, I stayed at a wonderful lodge.”
Mogul (noun): A mogul is a hard pile of snow or bump on a ski slope. You could say,
“When I skied over that mogul, I must have flown three feet into the air.”
Chute (noun): A chute is a snow- or ice-covered slope for sports such as snowboarding
or tobogganing. You could say, “I must have been going 40 miles per hour when I
snowboarded down the chute.”
Confusing words
Among: To be surrounded by several people or things. For example, you could say,
“You are among friends.” Don’t confuse ‘among’ with ‘between’. Between means to be in
the middle of two people or things.
Borrow : To receive something and plan to return it at a later date. For example, you
can say, “Can I borrow you camera for a few days?” Don’t confuse ‘borrow’ with ‘lend’.
Lend means to give something to somebody and expect it back at a later day.
A number: Use ‘a number’ when you talk about things that can be counted. For
example, you could say, “There were a number of people waiting for the train.” Don’t
confuse ‘a number’ with ‘an amount’. An amount refers to things that cannot be counted,
such as water, rice, and flour.
Lay: You lay an object down. For example, you could say, “Lay your books on the table.”
Don’t confuse “lay” with “lie”. Lie is something you do to yourself. For example, you can
lie down on a bed.
Alone: Alone means to do something without other people. For example, you can say,
“She climbed the mountain alone.” Don’t confuse ‘alone’ with ‘lonely’. Lonely means
feeling sad because you are alone.
Vacation: A vacation is a period of time to relax or travel instead of doing your usual
work. For example, you could say, “We always go on vacation in July.” Don’t confuse
‘vacation’ with ‘travel’ or ‘trip’. These two words describe the act of moving from one
place to another.
Mood: The way you are feeling at a particular time. For example, you could say, “I am in
a good mood today.” Don’t confuse ‘mood’ with ‘attitude’. Attitude means the way you
generally feel about someone or something.
Time words
Continuously: A time expression meaning to perform an action without stop. For
example, you could say, “I spoke continuously for two hours.” Don’t confuse
‘continuously’ with ‘continually’. Continually is an action that repeats many times.
At once: A time expression meaning immediately. For example, you could say, “You
must write to him at once.” Don’t confuse ‘at once’ with ‘once’. Once means that
something used to happen in the past, but not anymore.
Now and then: A time expression meaning something you do sometimes, but not very
often. For example, you could say, “We still travel now and then, but not as often as we
would like.” Don’t confuse ‘now and then’ with ‘for now’. For now means to do something
for a short time.
Once in a while: A time expression meaning something you do sometimes, but not
regularly. For example, you could say, “I go to movies once in a while.” Don’t confuse
‘once in a while’ with ‘for a while’. For a while means for a short period of time. For
example, you could say, “You can borrow my book for a while.”
Eventually: A time expression meaning at a later time. For example, you could say, “I
learned a lot of new things at work, but eventually I forgot most of it.” Don’t confuse
‘eventually’ with ‘recently’. Recently means something done a short time ago.
On Time: A time expression meaning on schedule. For example, you could say, “My
train will arrive on time.” Don’t confuse ‘on time’ with ‘just in time’. Just in time means to
arrive at the right moment for an event. For example, you could say, “We arrived just in
time for the movie.”
In the end: A time expression meaning that something happens after a lot of problems
or changes. For example, you could say, “He had to take the test three times, but he
passed in the end.” Don’t confuse ‘in the end’ with ‘at the end’. ‘At the end’ is not a time
expression. It refers to a position of something. For example, you could say, “Don’t
forget to put a period at the end of a sentence.”
Dating words
Ask out: To ask someone out is to invite him or her on a date, especially when there is the
possibility of romantic interest. For example, you could say, “I’ll ask her out to a movie.”
Go out: To go out is to have a romantic relationship with someone. For example, you could
say, “I’ve been going out with Stella for three months.”
Break up: To break up is to end a romantic relationship. For example, you could say, “I broke
up with Stella after dating her for over a year.”
Double date: To double date is to go out as a couple with another couple. For example, you
could say, “My brother and his new girlfriend came on a double date with Stella and me.”
Boyfriend & Girlfriend: To be somebody’s boyfriend or girlfriend means to have a romantic

relationship. For example, you could say, “Stella is my girlfriend. We’ve been dating for six
months.” Women also can use girlfriend to describe a non-romantic female friend.
Chick flick: A chick flick is slang for a movie that is mainly of interest to females. Usually a
chick flick contains scenes of love and friendship or has mostly female actors. For example,
you could say, “My girlfriend likes to see a lot of chick flicks. I like to watch action movies.”
Jealous: An emotion you feel when you think that someone you love loves someone else. For
example, you could say, “Stella is jealous. Every time I even look at another woman, she gets
upset.”
English words
Antonym: A word that means the opposite of another word. For example, “slow” is the
antonym of “fast” and “happy” is the antonym of “sad”. The word comes from Greek,
‘anti’ meaning ‘against’ and ‘onuma’ meaning ‘name’.
Synonym: A word that means the same, or almost the same, as another word. For
example, “learn” and “study” are synonyms. You can find synonyms in a ‘Thesaurus’, a
book that lists words with similar meanings.
Homonym: Two words that are pronounced or spelled the same but have different
meanings, for example, “dear and deer” and “fleet (a group of vehicles) and fleet (fast)”.
Pizza restaurant words

bacon, noun (no plural)
Salted smoked meat from a pig.
“I always have bacon and eggs for breakfast.”
cheese, noun
Solid food made from milk.
“There are many kinds of cheese: some are hard and some are soft.”
“I like pizza with extra cheese.”
chicken, noun
A farm bird that people keep for its eggs and meat.
“My parents have chickens on their farm.”
chicken, noun
Meat from a chicken.
“She likes chicken and vegetables.”
extra, adjective
More than usual.
“I need some extra time to study for my class.”
fast food, noun
Food prepared and served quickly in a restaurant.
“Some fast food is healthy. Pizza and chicken are good for you.”
favorite, adjective
Most enjoyed; the one that you like more than any other.
“Apples are my favorite fruit. I eat an apple every day.”
fix, verb
Make something work.
“There is no sound on my TV. Please fix it.”
for here, set expression
Fast food or drink that you eat at the restaurant.
“The pizza is for here. Please put it on a plate, not in a box.”
French fries, noun
Thin potato strips fried in oil.
“My favorite kind of fast food is French fries.”

garlic, noun (no plural)
A vegetable which looks like a small onion and has a strong taste and smell.
“ I use a lot of garlic when I cook. Garlic adds flavor to food.”
great, adjective
Very good.
“The pizza tastes great. It is excellent.”

“Anne sings well. She has a great voice.”
green pepper, noun
An empty rounded vegetable with seeds inside. Peppers can also be red and yellow.
“We use green peppers in salads.”
hungry, adjective
Wanting or needing food.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go to a restaurant.”
medium, adjective
Not big and not small.
“French fries come in three sizes: small, medium, and large.”
menu, noun
A list of the food at a restaurant.
“There are many vegetarian pizzas on the menu.”
mozzarella, noun (no plural)
A soft, white cheese.
“Melted mozzarella is often used as a pizza topping.”
munch, verb
Eat something with a lot of noise.
“Mike munches loudly on his apple.”

mushroom, noun
A plant with a round top and a short bottom.
“Mushrooms are very good to eat on a pizza.”
olive, noun
A small green or black fruit that grows on trees. People eat olives and make them into
oil.
“Olives have a salty taste.”
onion, noun
A round vegetable, usually white or yellow, with a strong taste and smell.
“Every time I cut an onion, it makes me cry.”
order, verb
Ask for food in a restaurant.
“The waiter knows what I like. I always order pepperoni pizza.”
pepperoni, noun
A type of Italian sausage.
“I want pepperoni on my pizza.”
pineapple, noun
A tropical fruit with a hard brown outside and a sweet yellow inside.
“Pineapples grow in Hawaii and Ecuador.”
pizza, noun
A baked, flat, round bread covered with tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, and meat.
“You are hungry. Please eat the last slice of the pizza.”
pizzeria, noun (Also called a pizza parlor)
A pizza restaurant.
“Let’s meet at the pizzeria and eat a large pizza.”

pound, noun
A weight of 16 ounces or 454 grams.
“ I need a pound of mushrooms and two pounds of tomatoes.”
restaurant, noun
A place to buy and eat cooked food.
“I’m want pizza. Let’s go to an Italian restaurant.”
salami, noun
A very salty sausage.
“I like beef salami.”
sausage, noun
Meat that is cut into very small pieces and has salt and spices in it. Sausages come in a
long round shape.
“Salami and pepperoni are kinds of sausages.”
slice, noun
A thin piece of food cut from a larger piece of food.
“Mike cut the large pizza into eight slices.”
slice, verb
Cut food into thin pieces.
“Mike slices the bread into eight slices.”
smell, noun
The ability of the nose to find odors in the air.
“The smell of popcorn is very strong.”

“Smell is one of our five senses. The others are sight, hearing, taste, and touch.”
smell, verb
Use your nose to sense an odor.
“Smell the milk and tell me if it is still good.”

taste, noun
The flavor of something.
“I love the taste of garlic pizza.”
taste, noun
The ability to sense a flavor of a food.
“Taste is one of our five senses. The others are sight, hearing, smell, and touch.”
taste, verb
Put food in you mouth to see what it is like.
“Taste my soup and tell me if there is too much salt in it.”
tasty, adjective
With a pleasant flavor.
“I like garlic pizza. It is very tasty.”
thirsty, adjective
Wanting or needing something to drink.
“Nick is thirsty. He needs a glass of water.”
to go, set expression
Food or drink that you do not eat at the restaurant but take with you.
“The food is to go. I have no time to eat it now.”
tomato, noun (plural tomatoes)
A soft, red, and juicy fruit.
“We grow tomatoes in our garden and eat them in a salad.”
topping, noun
A food put on top of other food to add extra flavor.
“The Hawaiian Pizza has bacon and pineapple toppings.”

vegetarian, adjective
Without meat.
“The vegetarian pizza has no pepperoni or sausage on it.”
vegetarian, noun
Someone who does not eat meat.
“Kate is a vegetarian. She eats a lot of cheese and vegetables.”
zucchini, noun
A long round green vegetable.
“Zucchinis and cucumbers are both long, green, and round, but zucchinis are harder.”
Vocabulary exercise - Pizza Restaurant
Anne, Mike, and Nick are friends. They meet outside of Roma’s Pizzeria.
Print this page and fill the correct words into the blanks. Use the following words:
am thirsty medium
are hungry
is tasty
has extra
have menu
want toppings
Anne: I’m _______. Let’s _______ a pizza.
Mike: What size?
Anne: Let’s order a _______ pizza. It ______ big enough for three.
Mike: Let’s look at the ______ and choose the different _______ .
Anne: I ______ a pepperoni pizza.
Mike: I _____ a vegetarian . I do not eat meat.
Nick: Let’s have a vegetarian pizza. It _______ many vegetables.
Mike: The vegetarian pizza is ______.
Nick: Let’s ask for _______ cheese.
Anne: You _______ more hungry than I am.
Nick: I’m ______. I want apple juice with my pizza.
Mike: Good. One pizza and three glasses of milk.

Idioms
Most languages have idioms. Idioms are phrases that are not to be taken literally; they
are expressions that mean something different than the meanings of the words that
make it up.
That may sound confusing to you. Let’s instead look at an example of an idiom. When
people say: “It’s raining cats and dogs” they don’t mean that pets are falling from the sky!
The idiom just means that it’s raining very hard.
Here is an example of an idiom question that you may see in the Listening Section:
________________________________________________________________
YOU WILL HEAR:
Man: Who told you that the Wilsons are getting a divorce?
Woman: I heard it through the grapevine.

A) She heard the gossip through friends.
B) She heard the news on the radio.
C) The Wilsons told her while they were by a grape vine.
D) She overheard people speaking about the Wilsons while she was in a vineyard.
________________________________________________________________
The correct answer is (A). “I heard it through the grapevine” is an idiom that means you
heard gossip from someone.
Idioms
Here is a list of common idioms to help you:
A
ace a test - to score perfectly
“Tanya aced the test because she studied all night.”
all ears - listening attentively

“Tell me your problem. I’m all ears.”
all right! - Everything is great! Excellent!

“We’re going to Disneyworld? All right!”
alive and kicking - alive

“Grandma is still alive and kicking.”
at death’s door- about to die

“The dog isn’t doing so well. I’d say he’s at death’s door.”
at once - immediately
“The boss wants to see you at once.”
be good at (something) - be able to do (something) well

“The clown was very good at juggling.”
at the crack of dawn - very early in the morning

“We always go jogging at the crack of dawn.”
at loggerheads - not being able to agree with each other

at will - whenever one wants
B
back up - reverse direction, go back
“The moving truck backed up to the house to make it easier to move the furniture”
bad news - a troublemaker; a dangerous person

“Don’t play with Harold. He’s bad news.”
be a piece of cake - be easy

“The test was a piece of cake!”
beat around the bush - not get to the point of a discussion, avoid the subject
“Nervous about asking his parents for a loan, Luke kept beating around the bush with
smalltalk.”
beat up - physically attack
“John was beat up during recess by a gang of bullies .”
be as pretty as a picture - be very good-looking

“My girlfriend is as pretty as a picture.”
be bored out of (one’s) mind - be very bored

“I was sitting in class bored out of my mind when suddenly the fire bell rang.”
be born with a silver spoon in (one’s) mouth - come from a wealthy family
“Emily was lucky to be born with a silver spoon in her mouth.”
be broke - have no money

“I can’t come to the movies because I’m broke.”
be fed up with - be exasperated by someone

“Mrs. Johnson was fed up with her fighting kids and set them both to bed early.”
be head over heels in love with somebody - love somebody very much
“Charlie is head over in heels in love with a girl from his work.”
be in charge of something - have control over something
“I am in charge of set design for our upcoming school play.”
be in the same boat - be in a similar situation

“You have large student loans? I’m in the same boat; I can hardly afford to eat!”
be loaded - have a lot of money

“The Callaghans can afford to have 4 sports cars because they’re loaded.”
be nothing but trouble - be a troublemaker; a dangerous person

“Stay away from Julie -- she’s a troublemaker who’s up to no good.”
be on cloud nine - be very happy;

“Since I met Dawn, I’ve been on cloud nine.”
be two-faced - be dishonest
“Jacob is a two-faced liar. I would never trust him.”
be used to - to be familiar with something

“I’m not tired. I’m used to staying up late.”
be up in arms - indignant, resentful

“Kristen was up in arms when Dave insinuated that she plagiarized her essay.”
be up in the air - something is undecided

“I’m not sure if I’m going to school next September. It’s still up in the air.”
be worth a fortune - be very valuable

“My Spiderman comic from the 1960s is worth a fortune.”
bet one’s bottom dollar on something - be very sure about something
“I bet my bottom dollar that there will be a test next week.”
big cheese - an important person, the boss

“My dad is the big cheese at his work.”
blind as a bat - cannot see at all

“Rosie can’t read the book; she’s blind as a bat.”
blow-off - something that is very easy

“The test was a real blow-off. Most of the class scored perfect.”
bomb a test - to fail or do poorly on a test

“I can’t believe that I bombed the test after studying all night!”
break into - force entry into

“Someone broke into my locker and stole my bag.”
break a habit - stop an addiction

“Margo finally broke her habit of biting her nails”
break up - end a relationship

“After three years of dating, Fred and Marie broke up.”
bring home the bacon - make money for your family

“I have to work. Someone has to bring home the bacon.”
buck - one dollar

“Do you have a buck I could borrow for the bus?”
bug - annoy
“Go away. You’re bugging me.”
burn down - burn to the ground

butter up - flatter someone
C
call off - cancel
“The baseball game was called off when it started to rain.”
calm down - relax

“Calm down, Dave. There’s no need to get upset.”
can’t make heads or tales of (something) - to not understand something

“The doctor wrote me a prescription, but I can’t make heads or tails of it because of his
poor penmanship.”
catch one’s eye - something appeals to someone
“The electric guitar in the window of the store really caught my eye. I‘ve always wanted
to be a musician.”
caught red-handed - caught in the process of doing something illegal, immoral, or

otherwise wrong
“The thieves were caught red-handed as they attempted to escape with the museum’s
largest diamond.”
change one’s mind - to decide not to doing something you were planning on doing
“On second thought, I don’t want to come out tonight. I’ve changed my mind.”
chew the fat - talk with someone

“I met an old friend from school today. We stopped for a coffee and chewed the fat for a
while.”
Chicken - a coward
“Why won’t you wrestle me? Are you chicken?
chicken out - not to have enough courage to do something (informal)

“Dan and I were supposed to go skydiving, but he chickened out.”
cool - great, excellent

“The free ESL workbook I got is really cool.”
couch potato - a lazy person who just sits on the couch watching television
“I am very active, but my boyfriend is a couch potato.”
cram - to study very hard at the last minute

“I stayed up all night cramming for the exam.”
D
dead as a doornail - dead
“The racoon that we ran over with the car is dead as a doornail.”
deaf as a post - very deaf

“My grandfather can’t hear when I come in; he’s deaf as a post.”
dress up - dress formally or in costume

“We always dress up and go to church on Sunday.”
drink like a fish - consume lots of alcohol

“Whenever we go out to a bar, Harry drinks like a fish.”
drop out - quit school

“I didn’t finish high school; I dropped out in grade 10.”
E
eager beaver - an eager person
“In to work early today, Jane? You’re certainly an eager beaver.”
early bird - someone who arrives early

“Our yard sale begins at 8 a.m. No early birds allowed.”
F
feeling blue - feeling sad
“I was feeling blue, so I went out for ice cream to cheer me up.”
find out - discover, learn

“I need to find out what time the bus comes.”
fire (someone) - to be terminated from a job

“The man was fired after the harassment suit.”
fix up - repair
“We bought a run-down house, fixed it up, and then sold it for substantial profit.”
for ages - for a long time

“I haven’t seen my high school friends for ages.”
foot the bill - pay the bill

“I hate going to dinner with the Fredricksons because they always expect me to foot the
bill.”
forty winks - restful sleep

“I’d like to come out to the late-night movie, but I need my forty winks.”
full of beans - not telling the truth, joking

“Don’t believe your uncle’s ghost stories. He’s full of beans.”
G
get a kick out of (something) - enjoy (something)
“I get a kick out of bungee jumping.”
get even with someone - to seek revenge

“Evan wanted to get even with his brother for spraying him with the hose.”
get it - understand
“This math problem seemed impossible before, but now I get it.”
get one one’s nerves - annoy

“The screaming children were beginning to get on my nerves.”
get out of hand - get excessively wild, crazy
“The police were called to make sure the New Year’s Eve celebrations didn’t get out of
hand.”
give someone a hand - 1) help someone with something

“I gave my parents a hand moving their furniture.”
2) applaud someone
“The audience gave the orchestra a hand after the concert.”
give out - distribute

“The teacher gave out the textbooks yesterday.”
give up - 1) surrender
“The robber gave himself up after a two-hour standoff with police.
2) quit
“This math problem is too hard. I give up.”
go out like a light - lose consciousness

“I was so tired that I went out like a light the minute my head hit the pillow.”
H
had better - should
“We had better leave the concert early to avoid the traffic jam.”
half-baked plan - a plan that is not successfully thought out

“Arnie’s get-rich-quick schemes were half-baked plans that never went anywhere.
have a chip on one’s shoulder - be touchy or bitter

“What’s wrong with Bill? He seems to have a chip on his shoulder today.
have a change of heart - change the way one feels about something
“Brenda has had a change of heart about getting married.”
have a crush on somebody - a strong but often short feeling of attraction

“I used to have a crush on my next-door neighbor.”
have a green thumb - be a competent gardener

“Have you seen Paul’s garden? He certainly has a green thumb.”
have a heart of gold - be very kind

“I love Calla. She has a heart of gold.”
have a mind of (one’s) own- do what one thinks is best in spite of what people say
“Jill doesn’t succumb to peer pressure. She has a mind of her own.”
have (something) in common - share similar features or interests

“You’re a fan of horror films? It seems that we share something in common.”
hit the books - study
“The test is tomorrow, so I should probably hit the books.”
hit the hay - go to bed

“Well, it’s 11 p.m. Time to hit the hay.”
hit the sack - go to bed

“Well, it’s 11 p.m. Time to hit the sack.”
How come? - Why?

“You’re not coming to the concert? How come?”
I
in hot water - in trouble
“If the dishes aren’t done by the time mom gets home, I’m going to be in hot water.”
in the nick of time - almost too late, but just in time

“The hero arrived in the nick of time to rescue the young lady.”
K
keep an eye out for - watch for
“Keep an eye out for the ice cream truck. I want to buy a Popsicle.”
keep on (doing something)- continue (doing something)

“I’m not going to come out tonight. I’m getting lots of work done on my essay, so I’m
going to keep on working on it.
keep one’s fingers crossed - hope for

“The band said they may play a show in our town, so keep your fingers crossed.”
keep one’s head above water - manage financially in a difficult situation; avoid money
problems.
“Lately I’ve been finding it difficult to keep my head above water.”
keep in touch - maintain contact

“It was good talking to you. Keep in touch.”
kick the bucket - die (informal)

“My father kicked the bucket twenty years ago.”
kid - 1) a child (noun)

“The kids are in the family room playing games.”
2) to joke (verb)
“Don’t believe anything your uncle’s ghost stories. He’s just kidding.”
know something by heart - have the ability to recite something by memory

“I know the entire alphabet by heart.”
know something inside out - know something very well
“I know the contents of the Bible inside out.”
L
lend a hand - help
“I stayed to lend a hand cleaning up after the school dance.”
a let-down - a disappointment
“Everyone was talking about that movie, but I thought it was a big let-down.
let the cat out of the bag - reveal a secret

“George accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
light-fingered - thievish
“Don’t leave Melvin alone in your room. He’s light-fingered.”
lousy - bad, stupid

“The television show we watched last night was lousy.”
M
make a mountain out of a molehill - make a problem seem bigger than it is
“Calm down, Josie. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”
make ends meet - make enough money to pay the bills

“Lately I’ve been finding it difficult to make ends meet.”
make up one’s mind -- decide

“Make up your mind: are you coming to the ballet or not?”
mind one’s own business - do not concern oneself in others’ affairs

“Though everyone was staring at the loud fighting couple, I chose to mind my own
business.”
miss the point - not understand the logic in what someone is saying
“The teacher explained the math problem, but I must have missed the point because I
still don‘t understand it.”
N
nail in one’s coffin - something that will hasten one’s death
“These cigarettes are nails in my coffin.”
never mind - do not concern yourself with this

“Can you help me do the dishes? Oh, never mind -- Julie’s going to help.”
no way! - This is not going to happen!

“You want me to come in and work on Saturday? No way!”
now and then (OR now and again) - sometimes, infrequently
“Now and then, we like to go out for Italian food.”
nuts - crazy
“I don’t believe anything Hank says. He’s nuts.”
O
on Easy Street - without any problems, financially stable
“Once I start my new job, we’re going to be on Easy Street.”
on time - not late

“My boss reprimanded me for not being on time.”
once in a while - sometimes, sporadically

“Once in a while we go out for Italian food.
out and about - out of the house and in motion

“Sorry I missed your phone call this morning. I was out and about.”
out of whack - broken, off kilter

“The clock is out of whack. It has stopped at 12:00.”
out to lunch - crazy or mentally slow

“I don’t believe anything Hank says. He seems out to lunch.
P
pitch black - dark
“We couldn’t see anything in the cellar because it was pitch black.”
play hooky - avoid classes, work

“The boys often play hooky, opting for arcade games over school.
point out - show

“The teacher pointed out the correct answer to the student.”
pop the question - ask someone to marry you

“Did you hear? Frank popped the question to Lisa last night!”
pop quiz - an unannounced test

“Close your books, class. We’re having a pop quiz.”
pretty good - sufficiently well done

“The food at that restaurant is pretty good. I recommend going there.”
pull an all-nighter - stay up all night, usually to study or work

“Sarah had to pull an all-nighter to finish her essay.”
pull someone’s leg - to joke with someone
“Don’t believe your uncle’s ghost stories. He’s just pulling your leg.”
put to death - executed

“The convicted murder was put to death last Wednesday.”
Q
quite a few - many
“There are quite a few roses in our garden this year.”
R
raining cats or dogs - raining hard
“It’s raining cats and dogs out there!”
read someone like a book - know one’s motives or thoughts

“Ron and I are so close, I can read him like a book.”
read someone’s mind - know what someone is thinking

“Go for a beer? You must have read my mind!”
rocket scientist - someone who is very smart

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to set a stove timer.”
run around - do many errands

“I have lots of running around to do today.”
S
save up - save money for something
“I’m saving up for a new bike.”
see eye to eye - agree with someone on something

“That’s an issue on which we see eye to eye.”
sort of - partially, kind of, a little bit

“The play we watched was sort of boring, but at least it was free.”
spill the beans - reveal a secret

“George accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.”
spill one’s guts - let out one’s problems

“After years of holding in my emotions, I spilled my guts to the psychologist.”
start over - begin again
“The wave demolished our sand castle, so we had to start over.
stick around - stay

“You should stick around for some coffee.”
suck up - try to please or get in the favour of someone else

“The girl in the front row always tries to suck up to the teacher for good marks.”
suit yourself - do as you wish

“I’m going to the opera tonight. If you’d rather watch TV, suit yourself.”
T
take it easy - relax
“In the summer, I like to take it easy by spending lots of time at camp.
take (one’s) time - approach things slowly, not rush

“The teacher told me to take my time with my homework instead of rushing to complete
it.”
take the day off - not go to work

“I was feeling sick, so I took the day off.”
tall tale - a story with details that are most likely exaggerated
“You caught a 50 pound fish? That sounds like a tall tale to me.”
think the world of somebody - think that somebody is a great person
“Our class thinks the world of our teacher.”
throw in the towel - quit

“In the second round of the boxing match, Max threw in the towel.”
tons of - lots of
“There are tons of parking spots available in the parkade.”
tough - 1) strong, macho

“That boxer is one tough guy.”
2) difficult
“This is a tough math problem.”
tricky - difficult
“Juggling with your eyes closed is very tricky.”
twenty-four seven (24-7) - all the time (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
“The convenience store is open 24-7.”
U
under the weather - sick
“I can’t go to school today because I am feeling under the weather.”
upside down - to be rotated vertically, to have the top of something pointed down and
the bottom pointed up
“The flag was accidentally hung upside down.”
up and at `em - awake and busy

“It’s only 6 a.m. and already Jake is up and at `em, planting vegetables in the garden.”
up to something - doing something sneakily

“I saw the secretary snooping around the boss’ office. I think she’s up to something.”
W
wet behind the ears - inexperienced
“The intern writer was wet behind the ears, but he showed much potential.”
What’s up? - What is happening? What’s going on?

“Hi Nadine. What’s up?”
What for? - For what reason? Why?

“I’m being fired? What for?”
works like a charm - works well

“This new tennis racket works like a charm.”
worn out - rendered useless from wear

“Today I bought new shoes to replace my worn out pair.
Y
yellowbelly - someone who is afraid of doing something
“Why won’t you wrestle me? Are you a yellowbelly?
Idioms
School idioms
Look at the italicized word or idiom in the sentence and answer the following questions:

Man: I really aced the exam.

A) Barely passed the exam
B) Failed the exam
C) Did extremely well on the exam.
D) Did not take the exam.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: He really sucks up to the professor.

A) Tries to please the professor
B) Does a lot of work
C) Likes the professor
D) Dislikes the professor.

Man: Everyone tells me that Linguistics 100 is a real blow-off course

A) A very difficult course.
B) A very fun course.
C) A very serious course
D) A very easy course.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: I know that I will flunk the writing course.
A) Barely pass the course.
B) Fail the course.
C) Do extremely well in the course
D) Not take the course.
Man: On Monday I had to pull an all-nighter.

A) Take a night class.
B) Study past midnight
C) Work for the entire night
D) Sleep and not study.
________________________________________________________________

Man: My friend bombed the grammar quiz.

A) Barely passed the exam
B) Failed the exam.
C) Did extremely well on the exam.
D) Did not take the exam
________________________________________________________________

Man: I’ve got tons of homework for my vocabulary course.

A) Lots of homework
B) Little homework.
C) Difficult homework.
D) No homework.
Food idioms
1. BIG CHEESE…
A) something to put on your pizza
B) an important person
C) someone or something that one likes a lot
________________________________________________________________
2. BRINGING HOME THE BACON…

A) making your family’s money
B) a reward
C) an ingredient on a home delivered pizza
________________________________________________________________
3. HALF-BAKED…
A) something that is successful
B) a pizza not fully cooked
C) a plan not carefully thought out
________________________________________________________________
4. OUT TO LUNCH…
A) eating pizza for lunch
B) not working hard enough
C) being crazy or mentally slow
________________________________________________________________
5. CHEWING THE FAT…

A) learning about something new
B) talking with someone
C) eating a thick pizza
The secret to answering
multiple-choice questions
In most questions in the Listening Section, you will have four answer choices: the correct
answer plus three other incorrect answers. The incorrect answers are known as
distractors, as they are meant to distract your attention from the right answer.
Writing distractors is hard work for the TOEFL® staff; they need to create choices
that all look like correct answers. In order to do this they rely on just a few tricks -
five are listed here - that they repeat in every question.
We’ll show you how TOEFL®’s staff disguise the wrong answers. If you know what
distractors look like, you have a better chance at choosing the right answer.
TRICK #1. Repeating key Words.
In at least 3 out of 4 answers, key words from the conversation are repeated. For
example, Sunday, Mary, and work are key words in the following dialogue:
Woman: Will Mary be in on Sunday?

Man: Sunday is usually Mary’s day off.

! Sunday is a day Mary often works.
! Mary rarely works on Sunday.
! Some days Mary’s work is awful.
! Mary has had a terrible cough since Sunday.
________________________________________________________________
TRICK #2. Homonyms and sound-alikes.
Many distractors sound like key words from the conversation. For example, in the
following dialogue there are two pairs of sound-alikes: Sunday and some days; off,
awful, and cough.


(Also see the section on words that sound the same in this preparation guide)
TRICK #3. Opposites.
Four or five questions on your test will probably include distractors that are the opposite
of the right answer. For example:


________________________________________________________________
TRICK #4. Idioms.
In idiom questions, distractors often feature a literal translation of the idiom. For
example:
Woman: How did Rob perform in the fall production of Romeo and Juliet last night?
Man: You wouldn’t have believed it! He was head and shoulders above the rest of the
cast.

! Rob is too tall to be an actor.
! Rob’s performance was excellent.
! Rob was suspended above the stage.
! No one believed how terrible his performance was.
________________________________________________________________
TRICK #5. Extreme Answers.

Some distractors feature answers that are extreme. Such an answer can use extreme
evaluations, such as “awful work” instead of the moderate evaluation “bad”; can go
against common sense; or it can be potentially controversial, silly and so on. For
example:


Practice exam
Write your answers on a sheet of paper. The correct answers are found at the end of the
practice exam.
PART 1 - SHORT CONVERSATIONS

Woman: Have you registered for this free workshop on essay writing that
everybody is talking about?
Man: It turned out that registration was limited to 15 people, so I’m afraid I
missed the boat.

A. He could not get to the workshop because he missed the last boat.
B. He was not able to register for the workshop.
C. He registered for the workshop successfully.
D. He registered 15 people for the workshop.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: I have so much to do this week! My History assignment is due on
Wednesday, and I have to finish another one by next Monday. To tell you
the truth, I don’t have much done on either one of them.
Man: Well, if I were you, I’d roll up my sleeves and get to work.
What can be inferred about the woman?

A. She needs to start working on her assignments.
B. She wasn’t telling the truth before.
C. She needs to take a leave from her work.
D. She needs to help the man to roll up his sleeves.
________________________________________________________________

Man: You know, looking for an apartment off-campus is really not that easy. I
spent half an hour looking through newspaper ads last night and went to
see four apartments today.
Woman: Did you find anything you like?
Man: One of them was really nice, but too expensive, and I didn’t like the other
three. I guess I’ll have to look some more this weekend.
Woman: Yes, looking for an apartment is no picnic.

A. Looking for an apartment is very easy.
B. Looking for an apartment is different than a picnic.
C. The man needs to pick better apartments.
D. Looking for an apartment is difficult
Woman: Do you know what happened to Mike? I haven’t seen him since we took
Biology together last summer.
Man: Actually, I ran into him at the library yesterday. Biology was the last
course he needed to take. He’s graduating in May.
What do the speakers say about Mike?

A. He ran to the library.
B. He finished all his courses.
C. He’s taking Biology.
D. He needs to take one last course.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: How was your weekend?
Man: It was great! I went hiking with Nick and Bob.
Woman: So you did go after all!
What can be inferred about the man?

A. He wasn’t going to go hiking at first.
B. He did not have a good weekend.
C. He went hiking, but Nick and Bob did not go.
D. He was planning his hiking trip for a long time.
________________________________________________________________

Man: Have you heard about Mary? She is dropping out of her program!
Woman: You’re joking! I just spoke to her last week and she didn’t mention a thing.

A. The man is joking.
B. She does not know Mary.
C. She is very surprised.
D. Mary moved her things into a mansion.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: Do you feel like going to the movies tonight?
Man: I have too much work to do for my class tomorrow.
What will the man probably do?

A. He will go to the movies tonight.
B. He won’t go to the movies tonight.
C. He will see the woman in class.
D. He will go to work tomorrow.
Man: I’ve waited too long, and now all the textbooks for my course are sold out!
Woman: Well, you can borrow mine for the time being, but I will need it back soon.
You’ll have to check with the bookstore to see if they are ordering more.
What does the woman imply?

A. The man can borrow a textbook from a bookstore.
B. The man can have her textbook for as long as he wants.
C. The man cannot borrow her textbook.
D. The man can have her textbook for a short time.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: I need the book my professor has recommended. Do you know if the
library is open on Sunday?
Man: To tell you the truth, I have no idea. Why don’t you call the library and find
out?
What does the man suggest the woman do?

A. She should tell the truth about the library.
B. She shouldn’t call the library.
C. She should call the library.
D. She should find another book.
________________________________________________________________

Woman: So, let’s go to class.
Man: Um, you go, and I’ll meet you. I have to finish my homework assignment.
What does the man imply?

A. He is ready to leave with the woman.
B. He wants the woman to help him with his homework.
C. He wants the woman to wait for him.
D. He isn’t quite ready to go to class.
________________________________________________________________

Man: Hey, look what I found in the library. A picture dictionary written by my old
Spanish professor.
Woman: Jack, I don’t believe it. We have to hand in our assignment tomorrow and
you’re looking around the library. We still have to write the conclusion and
photocopy the pictures.
What does the woman suggest the man do?

A. Photocopy pictures from the picture dictionary.
B. Concentrate on finishing their paper.
C. Work on the assignment with Jack.
D. Look for more library books.
PART 2 - LONGER CONVERSATIONS
Conversation 1 - Click HERE to listen.
Man: How’s your term paper going?

Woman: Not so good. I can’t find enough material on the topic I’ve chosen. I’ve
been spending hours searching through the library catalogues, but there
are only a few articles that I can use.
Man: Have you asked your course instructor to see if there is something he can
recommend?
Woman: I have, and he gave me a couple of names to look for, but I can only order
these articles through the interlibrary loan. It’ll be too late by the time they
get here.
Man: Hmmm… What about changing the topic?
Woman: That’s what I really should have done, but it’s too late now. I might not
have enough time to start from the very beginning.
_____________________________________________________________
1.
What is the problem the woman is having?
A. She can’t find enough materials for her term paper.
B. She has changed the topic of her term paper.
C. She doesn’t know how to order articles from the library.
D. She doesn’t like her instructor’s recommendations.
______________________________________________________________
2.
What will the woman probably do?
A. Change the topic of her term paper.
B. Order more articles through the interlibrary loan.
C. Keep looking for more articles in the library.
D. Start her term paper from the beginning.
Conversation 2 - Click HERE to listen.

Student (Man): I'd like to talk with someone about a student loan.
Admin (Woman): How can I help you?
Student: Well, it's really about my wife's student loan.
Admin: Oh. Then she should really come in herself if she has a question.
Student: But she can't. She works during office hours.
Admin: Do you have a note giving you authorisation to discuss her file?
Student: I didn't know that I needed one. But it's only a simple question. I
would like to know how much money she has to pay back. Come
on, who else would really care about that information?
Admin: Well, I have those details on the my computer, but I'm afraid it is
confidential.
1.
What does the man want?
A. General information about student loans.

B. Information about his wife’s student loan.
C. To apply for a student loan for his wife.
D. To pay back some of his wife’s student loan.
________________________________________________________________
2.
What will probably be the result of the man’s visit?
A. He will receive the information he wants.

B. He will return another time with his wife.
C. He will return with a note from his wife.
D. He will never receive the information.
PART 3 - LECTURES
Lecture 1 - Click HERE to listen.
Hello. My name is Ann Wu. My current project is researching the clothes worn by
the Ancient Egyptians. Very few of the actual garments worn by the Egyptians have
survived, and even those are not in very good condition. But we still know a lot about the
clothes the ancient Egyptians wore. Our knowledge of ancient Egyptian dress comes
from the evidence found on paintings, in sculptures, and in ceramics. Such illustrative
material is shown clearly and colorfully. But care must be taken in interpreting the
designs too literally, mainly because the art of the ancient Egyptians is frequently
stylized. And also because the artists were bound by tradition, and their representation
of dress often lagged far behind the actual changes in fashion.
The chief material used for making their clothes is linen. And, because the
Egyptians never used dyes, it was always white linen. Wool, on the other hand, was only
rarely used in Egypt. This was because sheep farming never really extended as far
south as Egypt. As you know, much of Egypt is a desert, and sheep need a lot of grass.
Well, the Ancient Egyptian dress for adults of both sexes was generally a piece
of cloth worn around a person’s middle, and a type of vest or shirt. The pieces of
material were held in place by knots tied in the fabric, and by waist belts. Little sewing
was needed, usually just the side seams and armholes. So, what was the difference
between the clothes the men and women wore? Well, the only difference between male
and female clothes was that men usually wore shorter skirts. Their skirts usually just
covered the hips, like our mini-skirts. Women, on the other hand, generally wore skirts
that reached their ankles. And, like in many cultures in hot climates, Egyptian children
usually wore no clothes until they reached twelve. So, the men wore short skirts, the
women wore long skirts, and the children were basically naked.
While the style of the clothes remained the same for 5000 years, the clothes
become more complex. For example, a greater number of clothes were worn on top of
one another. Also, decoration, such as jewels and metal belts, were added to the
Egyptians’ clothes. Adding such jewelry was an effective way to add color to their white
cloth.
In conclusion, next time your see an Ancient Egyptian painting in a book, pay
close attention to the clothes they wore, and think about their fashion.
________________________________________________________________
1.
A) How the ancient Egyptians lived.
B) The clothes worn by ancient civilizations.
C) The way the ancient Egyptians dressed.
D) Fashion over the past 5000 years.
2.
How do we know about the clothes the ancient Egyptians wore?
A) From the remains of their clothes.
B) From the ancient Egyptians’ art.
C) From letters written by the ancient Egyptians.
D) From analyzing the clothes of similar ancient cultures.
________________________________________________________________
3.
Why did the ancient Egyptians not wear wool clothing?
A) The ancient Egyptians did not raise sheep.
B) Wool had to be sewn, and the Egyptians did not sew.
C) It was too hot in ancient Egypt for wool clothes.
D) They only wore white clothing, and wool is not white.
________________________________________________________________
4.
Based on the lecture, what did the ancient Egyptians generally wear?
Match the correct person on the left with the proper clothing type on the right.
Men Long skirts

Women Short skirts
Children No clothes
________________________________________________________________
5.
How did the ancient Egyptians make their clothing more elaborate?
Choose two answers
A) By wearing capes over their vests.

B) By adding jewelry to their clothes.
C) By coloring their clothes with dyes.
D) By putting on layers of clothes.
I’d like to tell you about an investigation by a researcher from the University of
Jerusalem. A scientist, Daniel Rosenfield, found that air pollution can actually prevent
clouds from releasing rain and snow.
His study examined clouds over cities in three different countries: Australia,
Canada, and Turkey. Using sensitive instruments aboard satellites, Rosenfeld analyzed
streaks in clouds called “pollution tracks”. These tracks are made up of tiny elements,
known as “aerosols”, which come from pollution released by both cars and industry.
Rosenfeld found that areas within clouds contaminated by air pollution produced
significantly less rainfall than areas without pollution.
The link between air pollution and rain has to do with how water vapor forms into
rain. Water vapor in the air must come into contact with a solid, usually a piece of dust or
something, to form into a water droplet. This process creates clouds. The water droplets
in a cloud are extremely small-about a million of them must come together to form a
single raindrop. As water droplets collide within clouds, they eventually combine to form
raindrops. Polluted clouds have many more solids upon which water vapor can form,
leading to the formation of higher numbers of smaller water droplets. Smaller droplets
are less likely to collide and form into larger droplets. So, polluted clouds have many
water droplets that are too small to form raindrops and fall to Earth.
Air pollution also makes clouds brighter. It is because many droplets spread
thinly throughout a cloud reflect more sunlight than clouds containing fewer, larger
drops. In Rosenfeld's satellite images, the pollution tracks appear as bright streaks. And,
according to Rosenfeld, bright clouds reflect more solar heat back into space. This may
cause cooling in the regions beneath the clouds. However, the extent of this cooling
remains unknown.
Rosenfeld's work could renew interest in studying the effects of air pollution. We
need to conduct more studies to determine how large an effect air pollution is having on
weather around the globe. This issue may become clearer in the next few years as
several new satellites are going to be launched to study aerosols and the climate effects
of cloud cover.
________________________________________________________________
1.
What is the main purpose of this talk?
A) How rain is formed.

B) How Rosenfeld studied clouds.
C) How clouds are becoming brighter.
D) How air pollution affects rain.
2.
According to the lecture, what is the effect of air pollution on the Earth’s climate?
Choose two answers
A) Cooler temperatures.
B) Less rainfall.
C) Warmer temperatures.
D) More rainfall.
________________________________________________________________
3.
Why does a polluted cloud produce less rain?
A) The solids prevent the droplets from colliding.
B) The droplets are too small to form into raindrops.
C) The droplets are smaller than the solids.
D) The solids prevent the raindrops from falling.
________________________________________________________________
Comets have fascinated humans since ancient times, and I hope that after my
talk, you too will become fascinated by these amazing objects.
Do you know where the word comet comes from? The word is Latin and means
“hairy star”. The hairy label may come from the fact the gas and loose dust escaping a
comet create a long, shining tail that streams behind the comet. I guess it does look a
little a bit like a hairy star.
A comet is made up of four parts. So, what are they? The only permanent feature
of a comet is its ‘nucleus’.
The nucleus is made up of ice and dirt. It is roughly 75% ice and 25% dirt. So
how big is the nucleus? The solid portion of most comets is only a few cubic miles. For
example, the nucleus of Halley's Comet is about 9 by 2.5 miles in size. That’s about half
the size of New York City.
Surrounding the nucleus is the ‘coma’. The coma is a layer of dusty gas
surrounding the nucleus. You could consider the coma as the comet’s atmosphere. But,
of course, it is very different from Earth’s atmosphere. The coma is a mixture of
methane, ammonia, water, and dirt. A very hostile environment.
The third part is the “tail”.As a comet approaches our Sun, it is met by solar
winds coming off the Sun. These solar winds blow the gas in the coma out into space,
and the tail is formed. Some tails can be over 93 million miles long. And naturally,
because the tail is being pushed by the winds coming off the Sun, the tails are always
pointing away from the Sun.
The last part of the comet is a second, shorter tail. This second tail is the comet’s
dust being blown off the coma by the solar winds. These dust tails are very thick, and
stay close to the comet’s surface. Unlike the gas tail, the dust tail usually forms behind
the comet. This is because the dust is relatively heavy and is more affected by the
comet’s speeds than by the solar winds.
Well, that is all I want to tell you about comets for now. And, I hope that the next
time you see a comet streaking through the sky, you remember what fascinating objects
they are. Thank you.
________________________________________________________________
1.
A) How to recognize a comet.
B) The history of comets.
C) What a comet is made from.
D) Comparing a comet with a snowball.
2.
What does the word “comet” mean?
A) Shining star.
B) Hairy star.
C) Gassy star.
D) Latin star.
________________________________________________________________
3.
What is a comet’s nucleus primarily made from?
Choose two answers
A) Dirt.
B) Gas.
C) Rock.
D) Ice.
Prof: How many languages do you think there are in the world?
Student: 5000?
Prof: Pretty close. Actually, there are about 6000 languages in use. But, by the
year 2100, there will be only about 3000 left. One language is currently
being lost every 10 days. So, my question for you is, “Why do you think
languages are disappearing?”
Student: Well, how about if children stop learning a language. A language would
soon die out, wouldn’t it?
Prof: Good point. There is even a word for that: Moribund Loss. Moribund
languages still have native speakers, but they are not being learned by
children. Often just a few elderly speakers remain. Why do you think
children would stop learning a language? Sandy?
Student: I don’t know. They don’t want to.
Prof: That’s not a bad answer. Children are pretty efficient language learners.
But children also learn quickly which language tools get them ahead and
which are not needed. Most children will not learn a language simply
because their parents, or grandparents, wish them to. Children will learn a
language to use it, especially at school or with their friends. OK. Can you
think of another reason a language might die?
Student: Well, I read about how people moving from one place to another might kill
off a language.
Prof: Good. In fact, historically, the movement of people has been the main
cause of a language dying. This, by the way, is called “Migratory Loss”.
Humans have always migrated. Some people move to find better lands,
and some flee bad conditions. In any case, they usually end up in
territories already occupied. Sometimes language groups can co-exist for
centuries. Like in India. More typically, the dominant group displaces the
weaker one. OK. Can you think of ONE more reason why a language
might die?
Student: Government policies. You know, forcing people to give up their language.
For example, how the United States government took children away from
their Native American parents and sent them to boarding schools. The
children were forced to speak English.
Prof: That’s what I was thinking of. This is called “Obligatory Loss”. However,
sometimes this Obligatory Loss is not intentional. Sometimes
governments do it to encourage a sense of national identity in a culturally
diverse country.
And sometimes it is done to save money. It is simply less expensive to
collect taxes and provide basic social services like education using a few
languages, rather than many. Even when there is a will to preserve
minority languages, the cost of providing education in many languages
can be significant.
________________________________________________________________
1.
What was the professor’s purpose for having this discussion?
A) To talk about different kinds of languages.
B) To discuss the reasons a language could disappear.
C) To describe the conditions of minority languages.
D) To explain how children are important for the survival of a language.
________________________________________________________________
2.
According to the lecture, why would some children not speak their parents’
language?
Choose two answers
A) Parents decide not to teach their language to their children.

B) The children decide that they don’t need to learn the language.
C) The government doesn’t allow the children to speak their language.
D) There are no schools available in the children’s language.
________________________________________________________________
3.
According to the lecture, why would a government stop providing services in a
language?
A) This would force children to go to boarding schools.
B) The government hopes that the people would move away.
C) It costs too much to have many different schools.
D) There are only a few speakers of the language left.
________________________________________________________________
4.
Based on the professor’s description, classify the following terms.
Match the correct type of loss on the left with the proper definition on the right.
Migratory Loss Language loss is part of a government’s policy.
Moribund Loss People move to a new country and lose their language.
Obligatory Loss Children don’t learn their parents’ language.

ANSWER KEY
Main Idea Exercises
1-A
2-C
3-A
4-D
5-C
Meaning Exercises
1-C
2-A
3-C
4-B
5-D
6-A
7-C
8-B
9-C
10 - A
Action Exercises
1-D
2-B
3-D
4-B
5-C
6-A
7-D
8-A
9-B
10 - D
Inferences Exercises
1-B
2-D
3-C
4-A
5-D
6-C
7-B
8-C
9-B
10 - C
Tone of Voice Exercises
1-A
2-B
3-C
4-B
5-C
Words That Sound the Same Exercises

1 - Aisle
2 - Aunt’s
3 - Awed
4 - Bawled
5 - Band
6 - Bee
7 - Been
8 - Blew
9 - Scent
10 - Sight
11 - Clothes
12 - Deer
13 - Due
14 - Dyes
15 - Fare
16 - Feet
17 - Four
18 - New
19 - Groan
20 - Hair
21 - Hire
22 - Hour
23 - Nun
24 - Oar
25 - Won
26 - Paws
27 - Reign
28 - Read
29 - Wring
30 - Seen
31 - Sea
32 - So
33 - Sundae
34 - Their
35 - Too
36 - Toe
37 - Wear
Assessment Exercises
Anne: I’m hungry. Let’s have a pizza.

Mike: What size?
Anne: Let’s order a medium pizza. It is big enough for three.
Mike: Let’s look at the menu and choose the different toppings.
Anne: I want a pepperoni pizza.
Mike: I want a vegetarian . I do not eat meat.
Nick: Let’s have a vegetarian pizza. It has many vegetables.
Mike: The vegetarian pizza is tasty.
Nick: Let’s ask for extra cheese.
Anne: You are more hungry than I am.
Nick: I’m thirsty. I want apple juice with my pizza.
Mike: Good. One pizza and three glasses of milk.
Idiom Exercises
School
1-C
2-A
3-D
4-B
5-C
6-B
7-A
Food
1-B
2-A
3-C
4-C
5-B
Practice Exam
Short Conversations
1-B
2-A
3-D
4-B
5-A
6-C
7-B
8-D
9-C
10 - D
11 - B
Longer Conversation 1
1-A
2-C
Longer Conversation 2
1-B
2-C
Lecture 1
1-C
2-B
3-A
4 - Men = short skirts. Women = longer skirts. Children = no clothes.
5-B&D
Lecture 2
1-D
2-A&B
3-B
Lecture 3
1-C
2-B
3-A&D
Lecture 4
1-B
2-B&D
3-C
4 - Obligatory loss = language loss is part of a government’s policy. Migratory loss =
people move to a new country and lose their language. Moribund loss = the children
don’t learn their parents’ language.

TOEFL Study Guide Listening

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Study Guide for the TOEFL ®

Visit these great websites for more TOEFL® preparation resources!

1. Overview of the Listening Section

2. Types of questions you may see in the Listening Section

3. The secret to answering multiple-choice questions

1. Short conversations (11 questions)

PART A: Short Conversations

PART B: Longer Conversations

PART A: SHORT CONVERSATIONS

This section consists of about 11 short conversations and 2 longer conversations.

All of the conversations and talks are academic in content.

Man: Did you study hard for the test?

What does the woman mean?

Woman: I can’t believe I forgot to bring a pen to write the test!

You will then see and hear the question:

What will the woman probably do next?

Student 1: To me, Daylight Saving Time is just a way to mess up my schedule.

Student 2: Of course, it’s “spring ahead, fall back.”

What was the discussion mainly about?

Then you will see and hear the first question:

The correct answers are (C) and (D).

Classify the different styles of martial arts the professor described.

The correct answers:

An exercise to keep fit - Tai Chi

YOU WILL HEAR:

Luke: Hi Brian. Are you coming to the concert tonight?

THEN YOU WILL SEE:

What is the discussion mainly about?

Which two things were the speakers discussing?

1. Click HERE to listen.

What is the main topic of this conversation?

A) The woman’s computer broke.

2. Click HERE to listen.

What is the main point of this lecture?

3. Click HERE to listen.

What is the main point of this lecture?

What is the main point of this lecture?

5. Click HERE to listen.

What is the main point of this lecture?

What does the man mean?

YOU WILL HEAR:

THEN YOU WILL SEE:

What does the man mean ?

1. Click HERE to listen.

What does the woman mean?

2. Click HERE to listen.

What does the man mean?

3. Click HERE to listen.

What does the professor mean?

4. Click HERE to listen.

What does the woman mean?

What does the man mean?

6. Click HERE to listen.

Which answer most closely summarizes the woman’s statement?

7. Click HERE to listen.

What does Julie mean?

8. Click HERE to listen.

What does the man mean?

What does the man mean?

10. Click HERE to listen.

What does the professor mean?

What does the man/woman suggest the woman/man do?