DAY 1 – TOEIC - LISTENING

QUICK GUIDE: Listening Section

The Listening Section tests your comprehension of English statements, questions, conversations,
and talks. There are four parts to this section. You will choose the best descriptions of photos and
the best responses to questions, and you will answer comprehension questions about
conversations and talks.

Targeted Skills:

In order to do well on the Listening Section, you must be able to:

 understand basic vocabulary pertaining to business and everyday activities.

 identify objects and activities in photographs of common business and everyday scenes.
 respond to common questions and statements in business and everyday conversation.
 understand the main ideas and details of conversations and talks.
 make inferences about information you hear in conversations and talks.
 keep pace with the audio recordings and answer questions within the time given.

Listening Section
The Listening Test is first on the TOEIC paper and pencil test. The Listening Test consists of four
parts and 100 questions total. The Listening Test lasts 45 minutes. You cannot go back during any
of the four parts and listen again, and you cannot go back between the parts or at the end.
 Part 1: Photographs 10 questions
 Part 2: Question-Response 30 questions
 Part 3: Conversations 30 questions (10 conversations with 3 questions each)
 Part 4: Talks 30 questions (10 talks with 3 questions each)

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The Listening Section of the TOEIC test takes a total of 45 minutes. After you hear each question,
you will have a short time to choose your answer. Then you will hear the next question. You have
five seconds to choose each answer in Part 1 and Part 2 and eight seconds to choose each answer
in Part 3 and Part 4. No part of the audio will be repeated. You cannot control the audio, and you
must keep pace with the audio.

In Part 1 of the TOEIC test, you will see photos and hear statements about them. There are a total
of ten photos. For each photo, you will hear four statements about the photo. One of the statements
gives true information about the photo. The other three statements are incorrect in some way. You
will see the photos, but you will only hear the statements. THE STATEMENTS ARE NOT WRITTEN
ANYWHERE ON THE PAGE, so you must listen to them carefully.

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Some statements in Part 1 describe an activity in the photo. These statements often use the present
continuous tense: be + verb + -ing. Sample statements about activities:

 They’re shaking hands.

 He’s reading the menu.
 The doctor is talking with the patient.
 She’s buying a train ticket.

Some statements in Part 1 describe the condition of objects in the scene—what they are, where
they are, or what they are like. These statements may use the expression there is/are or the verbs
is/are or has/have.

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Similar-Sounding Words

In Part 1 of the Listening test, a distractor may use a word that sounds like, but is not exactly the
same as, a word that would correctly describe the photo. These distracters are often words that
rhyme or contain some similar sounds. Watch out for words that sound like the things you've
identified in the picture.

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EXERCISE

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TOEIC® Test Part 2:

Question-Response

Part 2 of the TOEIC Listening test consists of 30 questions or statements. Each question or
statement is followed by three possible responses. You will choose the most appropriate response.
Everything is spoken; there will be nothing for you to read on the page. The questions or statements
are things you might hear in a conversation among colleagues, customers, clients, friends, or
relatives. Questions might be requests for information or for assistance, and statements might be
about needs, plans, or feelings.

Topics for Part 2 questions or statements may include:

» Work » Transportation » Weather

» Shopping » Movies, theater, concerts » Entertainment

» Travel » Health » Banking

Information questions are also called wh- questions. These are the questions that begin with
question words (or phrases), such as Who, Whose, What, When, Where, Which, Why, and How.
Each different question word asks for a different type of information.

Yes-No Questions

In Part 2, some of the questions will be yes-no questions. Yes-no questions begin with

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auxiliary verbs, such as is/are, was/were, do/does, did, have/has, or will. They might also

begin with negative forms of auxiliaries, such as wasn’t, didn’t, or won’t. The correct response

usually begins with yes or no, but watch out! Sometimes the response will be a direct answer

to the question, without yes or no.

Beside that, some yes-no questions contain embedded questions—a question within a question.
For example: Can you tell me where the meeting is? Do you know when he arrived?

Last but not least, polite requests are another type of yes-no question. Although they are structured
like yes-no questions, THEY USUALLY AREN’T ANSWERED WITH YES OR NO. Instead, the
responses contain polite phrases, such as Of course, Certainly, I ’d be glad to, I’d be happy to, I’m
sorry, or I wish I could.

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EXERCISE

Read and listen to the question or statement and three possible responses. Choose the best
response, and mark the corresponding letter. Remember, you won’t be able to see the questions or
responses in the real TOEIC test! (Track 2-11)

1. Whose purse is this?

(A) She’s a nurse. (B) This is a purse. (C) It’s Mary’s.

2. Where can I park my car?

(A) In the garage. (B) Let’s walk in the park. (C) It’s not very far.

3. It’s a very cold day.

(A) Yes, he sold it. (B) I’ll wear a coat. (C) The meeting is today.

4. When is the party?

(A) At Peter’s house. (B) Tomorrow at five. (C) I like a good party.

5. Who took this phone message?

(A) I took it. (B) The phone is ringing. (C) It’s in the book.

TOEIC® TEST PART 3:

CONVERSATIONS

Part 3 of the TOEIC Listening test features ten conversations. Each conversation is followed by
three questions that you will hear and see on the page. The conversations are quite short and last
only about twenty-five seconds. The subject matter of these conversations can cover a range of
topics, from standard business interactions to personal topics.
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Conversation topics for Part 3 may include:

 Deadlines, documents, and equipment

 Restaurants, real estate, and retail
 Raises, promotions, and training
 Travel, hotels, or free-time activities
 Contracts, sales, and expenses

QUESTION TYPES

Topic / Main Idea Questions

Topic / main idea questions require you to look at the details and context of the conversation to find
the main theme the speakers are talking about.

Possible topic / main idea questions:

» What is the problem? » What issue are the speakers discussing?

» What are the people talking about? » What does the woman want the man to do?

TIP 1 PAY ATTENTION TO THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION. Listen carefully to the
information given early in the conversation. These requests or pieces of information often give clues
to the main idea. You can then look for answer options that have the same information or requests
that match the context of the conversation.

TASK Listen to the start of each conversation. Then choose the main idea of the exchange. Track
3-02

1. What are the speakers talking about?

(A) Checking into a hotel (B) Getting a new room key

(C) Changing hotel rooms (D) Looking for lost identification

2. What is the woman teaching the man?

(A) How to use the copier (B) Which printer to connect

(C) Where the supply room is (D) What type of paper to use

3. What problem are the speakers discussing?

(A) A delayed flight (B) An expensive limousine

(C) A late driver (D) A car accident

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TIP 2 USE VOCABULARY CLUES. SPEAKERS WILL NOT DIRECTLY SAY THE MAIN IDEA.
Instead, they will often use words associated with a specific context to talk about the situation or
problem. You must use this information to decide what they are discussing. Listen for vocabulary
clues like the ones in the chart to help you determine what the speakers are talking about. Use a
dictionary to look up any words you don't know

Practice Set 1

Pre-read the questions and answer options below. Think about what type of information you should
listen for to answer each question. Circle the correct information type from the options given. Then
listen to the conversation and mark the correct answers. (Track 3-20)

QUESTIONS

1. What are the speakers talking about? Information Type: Place Topic

(A) Canceling an appointment (B) Negotiating a bill

(C) Leaving a hospital (D) Scheduling a meeting

2. Who most likely is the woman? Information Type: Occupation Location

(A) A doctor (B) A patient

(C) A secretary (D) A new client

3. When is the man’s meeting with the clients? Information Type: Reason Time

(A) This morning (B) At noon

(C) In twenty-four hours (D) Later this week

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TOEIC® TEST PART 4: TALKS

Part 4 of the TOEIC Listening test is very similar to Part 3. The main difference is that Part 4 features
ten talks by a single speaker instead of conversations between two or more speakers. Each talk is
followed by three questions that you will look at on the page as you listen. The talks are quite short
and often last less than a minute each.

Topics for talks in Part 4 may include:

» Weather and news reports » Office schedule listings

» Airport and train station announcements » Store sale announcements

» Voicemail messages » Speeches about business advice

» Advertisements

In Part 4, you will see the directions, the questions, and the answer options on the page. Read the
sample questions below. Think about the types of information the questions are asking for. Is each
answer related to an action? A location? A time or date? Look at the answer options. What kinds of
key words might you listen for to choose the answer for each one?

Part 4: Talks

Directions: Listen to a talk.

Then choose the correct answers to the three questions about that talk. Fill in the letter (A), (B), (C),
or (D). You will hear each talk only once.

1. Where is the speaker?

(A) In Los Angeles (B) On an airplane (C) At the airport (D) At a travel agency

2. How long will the trip take?

(A) Three hours (B) A little less than four hours (C) A little more than four hours

(D) Eleven hours

3. What will happen next?

(A) There will be a sightseeing trip. (B) A movie will be shown. (C) The plane will be serviced.

(D) Drinks will be served.

B What You’ll Hear

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You will first hear a short talk and then three questions about it. Listen to the sample talk as you
read along in the script. Underline the important information in the script. Circle and look up any
words you don’t know. (Track 4-01)

SAMPLE SCRIPT ►

(script not available in test)

Man: Good morning and welcome to Flight 83 to Los Angeles. Our trip today should take just under
four hours, and we’ll be arriving at Los Angeles International Airport at eleven o’ clock local time.
We have clear skies today and should be able to have a good view of the Rocky Mountains. I’ll point
them out, as well as other sights of interest, as we approach them. For your entertainment, we’ll be
showing an in-flight movie in about an hour. In a minute, the flight attendants will begin the beverage
service, so sit back, relax, and enjoy your trip.

What you’ll do:

In the test, you will listen to the audio and choose the best answer for each question. Listen to the
recording again and answer the questions in Part A. Use the information you underlined in Part B if
needed.

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LISTENING PRACTICE - COMPLETE SETS

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PART 2: ANSWER SHEET

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