TOEFL Listening Workshop Handout

Yuanyuan Wang 2014 fall

05/00
Part A
1. W: I'm not going swimming in the lake unless it warms up outside today.
M: Me neither. Unfortunately I think it's supposed to stay this cold all day.
Q: What can be inferred about the speakers?
2. M: that sweater is so unusual, and yet it looks familiar. Did I just see you
wearing it yesterday?
W: Well, not me. but...see, it belongs to my roommate Jill, and she is in your
chemistry class.
Q: What does the woman imply?
3. W: This toothache is killing me! I was hoping it would just go away but it's
getting worse by the minute. What did you say the name of your dentist was?
M: I told you last week to make that appointment.
Q: what does the man imply?
4. M: You wanna go to a lecture tonight over in the science auditorium? It's some
guys who spent a year living in Antarctica.
W: No kidding! I'm doing a report on Antarctica for my geography class. Maybe I
could get some good information to add to it.
Q: What does the woman mean?
5. W: I'd really like to learn how to play chess, but it looks so complicated. It
seems like it will take a really long time to learn.
M: Well, it takes a long time to get good at it. But we can go over the basics
the afternoon if you want.
Q: What does the man imply?
Part B
3134
W: Hi, Kaven. Your roommate told me I could find you in the TV lounge. What are
you doing here?
M: what does it look like I am doing?
W: well, it looks like u are watching television. but we have a linear algebra
mid-term tomorrow, so I thought you'd be studying for it and maybe I could
study with you.
M: Oh, well, I was just taking a break. This linear algebra stuff gives me a
headache if I work on it too long.
W: I know what you mean. I've been working on it for three hours through it
already. Im beginning to go across. I've been staring at the sample problems.
I just don't get some of them.
M: but I can't believe you are coming to me. I mean you do know what I got on the
last test, don't u?
W: yeah, I know. You told me. I just thought two heads might be better one.
M: yeah, that's nice idea. But...you know, I wish I knew that person in our class
who got a hundred on the last test. She didn't miss a question. Hum...was it
Elizabeth?
W: oh yeah, Elizabeth! She is a friend of mine. She'd be a big help right now. Why
don't I give her a call?
M: what! At this hour? It's already ten thirty. I don't wanna impose on her.
W: yeah, I guess you are right. But you know what, she owes me a big favor. Let's
at least give her a call and see what she says. Maybe going over some of the
problems with us would help her review the material.
M: it's worth a try.
31 what are the speakers mainly discussing?
32 why is the man watching television?
33 why is the man surprised that the woman wants to study linear algebra
with him?
34 why doesn't the man want to call Elizabeth?

TOEFL Listening Workshop Handout

Yuanyuan Wang 2014 fall

Part C
Questions 40 through 43:
Okay. Uh...you remember that Ive mentioned that it's important to read the
assigned poems aloud, so you can develop and appreciation of the sounds of the
poetry: the rhyme, the rhythm, the repetition of words or sounds, and to get a
sense of the interplay between the sounds of the words and their meaning. This is
really critical as we move into modern poetry, especially by writers who place so
much importance on sounds that the meaning becomes all better relevant. Like this
line by Gertrude Stein that I'd like to quote. Listen, listen as I stay the words.
"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." taken literally this would seems to be an
empty statement, one which gives us no information. But the purpose of a poem need
not be to inform the reader of anything, but rather to evoke feelingsto create a
sensual alphabetically pleasing experience. Now Gertrude Stein was better known
for her prose than for her poems. but I'd like to like to quote this line because
of its musicality, and because I think it helps open up our awareness to the
unconventional lyricism of contemporary poets. You'll see this in your homework
tonight as you read the poetry of John Ashbery, especially if you read it out
loud, which I recommend you do. Poets like ashbery don't rely so much on any
formal rhyme scheme or meter as on the musical quality of the individual words
themselves. as I said, Stein was better known for her non-poetical work. And now
I'd like to touch briefly on her essay entitled "Conversation and Explanation".
This work deals with her theory of writing and will help to explain some of the
things we've talking about.
40
41
42
43

what does the professor mainly discuss?

what does the professor say about Gertrude Stein as a writer?
why does the professor quote the phrase Rose is a rose?
what does the professor recommend the students do as part of their homework?