Senin, 24 Maret 2014

“TOEFL LISTENING



The first session in  which  the test toefl, is listening skill. This listening session generally consists of  50 questions. You will hear recoding in English and you have to respond  or answer questions related to the tape. You should hear the tape as much as possible, because the tape was played only once and the recording material is not written in the book tests. There are three sessions in the listening test: PART A which consists of 30 short conversation, every conversation followed by a question.  PART B consisting of 2 long conversations and followed a few questions (usually 4 questions  every conversation), and PART C which consists of 3 talk (as professor was explaning a particular topic) followed by some questions (usually 4 questions  every talk).  According to the author is the hardest part in the listening sessions.
General strategies that should be known in every session in toefl listening test is:

1.      Be familiar with the directions.
Get used to the instructions in doing  toefl test item, as a matter of general guidance in doing the same. Instruction will be working on the listening that is played throght a tape recorder before the test begins. By it, the instructions do the problems should be known clearly before take the test.

2.      Listen carefully to the conversations and talks.
You have to really concentrate to hear what the speaker on the tape because it was played only once

3.      Know where the easier and more difficult questions are general found.
Please note that in every matter of listening difficulty level increasing from about to about. Him as much as possible try to answer the quertions that come early

4.      Never leave any answers blank on your answer sheet.
Never empty your answer sheet. Toefl test no reduction in value even if you answer is wrong. Therefore, it is better filled answer sheet only.

5.      Use any remaining time to look ahead at the answers to the questions that follow.
When you answer the number one example. Hurry up to look at the answer choices two numbers that you quickly read the content of the topics to be discussed. By looking at the possible answer before hearing the conversation, at least you will get the shadow of the matter that from will appear.

Contoh Simulasi Soal Listening:

Part A : Short Conversations

Woman: Steve, is something the matter? You don’t look very good.
Man      : Oh, I’m feeling a little sick today.
Narrator : What does the man mean?
Di buku tes, anda membaca:
(A)    He’s not very good looking.
(B)   He’s a bit ill
(C)   He looks worse that he feels.
(D)   His feet are a little thick.

       Jawaban yang benar adalah B. Pilihan jawaban B mempunyai sound yang paling berbeda jika dibandingkan dengan pilihan jawan A, C, dan D. Dalam pilihan jawaban A, sound yang mirip adalah very dan looking. Dalam pilihan C, sound yang mirip adalah looks dan feels. Sedangkan di D, sound yang mirip adalah feet , little, dan thick.

Part B: Long Conversation

Narrator :  Qustions 1 through 4.
Listen to a conversation between two people who are decorating an apartment.
Woman      : Hey, Walt. Do you think you could help me hang these pictures on the wall?
  There are only two of them.
Man            : Sure, Monica. Where do you want them to go?
Woman      : I’d like the picture of the mountains over the fireplace, and I’d like the
  picture of my family over the sofa. What do you think?
Man            : I think they’ll ook fine there. How about if you hold the pictures while I
  hammer the nails into the wall?
Woman      : Okay. Let’s start with the picture of my family.

Pertanyaan:
(1)  Narrator  : What are the man and woman discussing?
Di buku tes, anda membaca:
(A)   Taking some pictures
(B)   Hanging some plants
(C)   Taking a trip to the mountains.
(D)   Putting some pictures on the wall.

Jawaban yang benar adalah (D) karena sudah jelas di ucapkan dalan percakapan “, Walt. Do you think you could help me hang these pictures on the wall?”
Sementara pilihan jawaban (B) dan (C) tidak sesuai dengan percakapan tersebut dan pilihan (A) ada kemiripan makna, namun tidak terdapat dalam percakapan tersebut.
(2)     Narrator: How many pictures are there?
Di buku tes, anda mendengarkan:

(A)   One
(B)   Two
(C)   Three
(D)   Four

Jawaban yang benar adalah (B) karena sudah jelas diucapkan dalam percakapan “There are only two of them.” Sementara pilihan (A), (C), dan (D) tidak sesaui dengan percakapan tersebut.

Part C: TALK

(narrator)   Listen to an instructor talk to his class about painting.
(man)  Artist Grant Wood was a guiding force in the school of painting known as American
regionalist, a style reflecting the distinctive characteristics of art from rural areas of the United States. Wood began drawing animals on the family farm at the age of three, and when he was thirty-eight one of his paintings received a remarkable amount of public notice and acclaim. This painting, called "American Gothic," is a starkly simple depiction of a serious couple staring directly out at the viewer.

Now listen to a sample question.

1.      (narrator)   What style of painting is known as American regionalist?
In your test book, you read: 

(A)  Art from America's inner cities
(B)  Art from the central region of the United States
(C)  Art from various urban areas in the United States
(D)  Art from rural sections of America

The best answer to the question, "What style of painting is known as American regionalist?" is (D), "Art from rural sections of America." Therefore, the correct choice is (D).

2.      (narrator)   What is the name of Wood's most successful painting?
In your test book, you read: 

(A)  "American Regionalist"
(B)  "The Family Farm in Iowa"
(C)  "American Gothic"
(D)  "A Serious Couple"

The best answer to the question, "What is the name of Wood's most successful painting?" is (C), "American Gothic." Therefore, the correct choice is (C). 

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