3.

LISTENING FOCUS FOR SHORT DIALOGUES

a. IDENTIFYING WHO, WHAT, WHERE
In this type of question the answer is not clearly stated; instead you must draw a
conclusion based on clues given in the dialogue. It is common for you to be asked to draw one
of the following conclusions in Listening Part A based on clues given in the dialogue:

1. WHO is probably talking?

2. WHAT will s/he probably do next?
3. WHERE does the conversation probably take place?
Example, On the recording, you hear:
(man) What do you do during your performances?
(woman) I play the piano and sing.
(narrator) Who is the woman most likely to be?
In your test book, you read:
(A) An athlete
(B) A member of the audience
(C) A clerk in a music store
(D) A musician

The clues performance, piano, and sing in the conversation tell you that the woman is
probably a musician. Answer (D) is therefore the correct answer. In addition, it is sometimes
difficult to understand who or what is doing the action in a passive sentence. This problem is
often tested in the short dialogues.
Example, on the recording, you hear:
(man) is that a new chair?
(woman) Yes, we just bought it last week.
(narrator) What does the woman mean?
In your test book, you read:
(A) She brought the chair with her.
(B) The chair was lost for a week.
(C) The chair was purchased recently.
(D) She bought the last chair from the store.

In this dialogue, the woman uses an active idea, we….bought it (the chair). The correct
answer uses the passive idea the chair was purchased. Therefore, the best answer to the question
above is answer (C). While you need to check carefully who or what is doing the action in the
questions, you should also note the following about passive sentences in short dialogues:
1. If the dialogue contains a passive statement, the answer to the question is often an active
statement.
2. If the dialogue contains an active statement, the answer to the question is often a passive
statement.

1) EXERCISE FOR PASSIVE AND ACTIVE (who OR what)

In this exercise, each of the correct answers is either a passive restatement of an active
sentence or an active restatement of a passive sentence. Read the short dialogue and underline
the key active or passive statement. Then read the question and choose the best answer to the
question. Make sure you understand who or what is doing the action in these passive
sentences.
1. (man) what happened to your notebook? (A) The cafeteria is to the left.
Preparation for Academic English Test 11
 (woman) I left it in the cafeteria. (B) She left a note on the cafeteria door.
(narrator) what does the woman imply? (C) She took some notes in the cafeteria.
(D) The notebook was left in the cafeteria.

2. (man) When are we going to talk about the
problem with the copy machine?
(woman) It will be discussed at the meeting
tomorrow.
(narrator) What does the woman mean?
(A) She needs to make copies before the meeting.
(B) They will talk about the problem tomorrow.
(C) It is a problem to have a meeting.
(D) They must discuss whether or not to
have a meeting

3. (woman) Did you correct the paper?
(man) I checked every single line
again and again.
(narrator) What does the man mean?
(A) The paper has been thoroughly corrected.
(B) He wrote many of the lines over and over.
(C) The checkmarks were on every line of the
paper.
(D) He wrote a check for the paper.

Another type of conclusion that is common in the short dialogues is to determine where
the dialogue probably takes place, based on clues given in the dialogue.
Example, on the recording, you hear:
(man) I'd like to open an account, please.
(woman) What type of account would you like, a checking or savings account?
(narrator) Where does this conversation probably take place?
In your test book, you read:
(A) In an accounting class
(B) In a bank
(C) At a service station
(D) In a market

PRACTICE: In this exercise, read the short conversation and question, underline the
clues that help you answer the question, and then choose the best answer. You will
have to draw conclusions about who, what, and where.
1. (man) I'd like to mail this package, please.
(woman) First or second class?
(narrator) Who is the woman most likely to be?
(A) A school administrator
(B) A postal worker
(C) A banker
(D) A teacher

2. (woman) How much are the flowers?

(man) Ten dollars a bouquet.
(narrator) Where does this conversation probably take place?
(A) In a bakery
(B) In a grocery store
(C) In a florist shop
(D) In a garden

3. (man) I need to get this prescription filled.

(woman) If you’ll take a seat, I'll have your medicine ready for you in a moment.
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 (narrator) Who is the woman most likely to be?
(A) A pharmacist
(B) A baby-sitter
(C) A flight attendant
(D) A doctor

EXERCISE 4: In this exercise, listen carefully to the short dialogue and question on
the recording and then choose the best answer to the question. You will have to draw
conclusions about who, what, and where.

1. (A) In a hotel room

6. (A) A weather forecaster
(B) At a restaurant
(B) A minister
(C) At the beach
(C) A marriage counselor
(D) In a desert
(D) A bride
2. (A) A manager
(B) A teacher 7. (A) In an airport
(C) A lawyer (B) At a gas station
(D) A librarian (C) At a supermarket
(D) In a bike shop
3. (A) In a library
8. (A) A musician
(B) In a doctor’s office
(B) An office worker
(C) In a bookstore
(C) A professor
(D) In a grocery store
(D) An athlete

4. (A) A hair stylist

9. (A) In a clothing store
(B) A secretary
(B) At a car wash
(C) A dentist
(C) In a laundry
(D) A gas station attendant
(D) At a grocery store
5. (A) In a plane
(B) In a car 10. (A) A bank teller
(C) On a bus (B) A travel agent
(D) On a boat (C) A police officer
(D) A bus driver

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 EXERCISE 5: In this exercise, listen carefully to the short conversation and question
in the recording program and then choose the best answer to the question. You will
have to draw conclusions about who, what, and where.

1. (A) In a photography studio. 4. (A) In a bank.

(B) In a biology laboratory. (B) In a restaurant.
(C) In an office. (C) At a service station.
(D) In the library. (D) In a beauty salon.

2. (A) He’s a pilot. 5. (A) A salesclerk in a shoe store.

(B) He’s a flight attendant. (B) A shoe repairperson.
(C) He’s a member of the ground crew. (C) A party caterer.
(D) He works clearing land. (D) A salesclerk in a fixtures department.

3. (A) Wash the dishes immediately.

(B) Use as many dishes as possible.
(C) Wash the dishes for as long as possible.
(D) Wait until later to clean up.

b. NEGATIVES
1) LISTEN FOR NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS
Negative expressions are very common in Listening Part A, and the most common
kind of correct response to a negative statement is a positive statement containing a word
with an opposite meaning.
Example, on the recording, you hear:
(woman) Did you get a lot of work done at the library today?
(man) I couldn't. It wasn't very quiet there.
(narrator) What does the man mean?
In your test book, you read:
(A) The library was noisy.
(B) He got a lot done.
(C) He couldn't quite get to the library today.
(D) The library's a good place to work because it's quiet.

The correct answer is answer (A). If it was not quiet in the library, this means that it
was noisy. Notice that the correct answer uses noisy, the opposite of quiet!. The following
chart outlines the types of negative expressions that you should be careful of:

PRACTICE: In this exercise, underline the negative in the second line of each short

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