TOEFL iBT Listening Practice Set 2 (Discussion Lecture)

Below, you will find examples of how to take notes from a Discussion Lecture and

Answer the Questions. We are big believer in using authentic material and believe you should as

well. So, if you would like to follow along with the conversations and lectures we are using,

please go to the following link:

http://www.ets.org/c/17722/index.html. We are doing Volume 3 (PDF with transcripts and MP3

audio files); Listening Practice Set 2: Lecture and Questions. Paste the link into your browser and follow

along!!!

Prior to reviewing our notes and answers below, please make an attempt to take notes on

your own and then compare them to our notes. Following an explanation for our note taking, we

will review the answer choices and reveal the traps used for the wrong answers. These are my

actual notes taken from the lecture based upon an authentic TOEFL iBT practice exam.

Before we review the actual questions, let quickly make note of the Answering Process

we explained to you earlier and please find below a review of the traps that are contained in the

incorrect answers. To do well, you must be good at spotting wrong answers, since 75% of the

answers are incorrect.

Answering Process

1. Read the question and note the keywords in the questions. These key words direct

you where to look in your notes for the answer. Recall the questions go in

chronological order, so Question 1 will be found in the beginning of your notes.

2. Look in your notes and read the information following the key words located in the

question. This information will have the actual answer to the question.
 3. Find the matching answer. Keep in mind the entire trap answers that ETS uses to fool

and trick students. Review our section we have on trap answers.

When trying to use a process of elimination, keep a look out for the following trap answers:

● Not Mentioned: this trap answer choice contains information that is not contained in the
keyword sentence in the paragraph.

● Extreme: this trap answer contains words that are considered extreme, such as never, always,
impossible, entirely, similar, only.

● Adjectives Qualifiers/Quantifiers: this trap answer will often have exact language from the
passage and some form of qualifier to make it wrong, such as (mostly, equal to, necessary, less
than, more than, must, likely, alone less, most, similar

● Wrong Verb: another trap answer choice not often cited is when ETS includes a wrong verb
to make a choice wrong. This trap is very tricky as the examiners will use a lot of exact language
to draw you in and then place a wrong verb to make a choice wrong.

● Exact Language: as stated earlier, synonyms are a great tester of English proficiency and so a
popular trap answer is the use of exact language. Very often ETS will use exact language from
one of the sentences surrounding the keyword sentence and then change the verb, use extreme
language or use a qualifier to make it a bad choice.

● Right Answer, Wrong Question: this particular trap answer occurs when ETS picks an
answer choice from a sentence other than the keyword sentence. The answer choice is correct,
but it does not derive from the keyword sentence, so it is wrong.

● Altered Information: this trap answer is also very tricky due to the fact ETS often uses exact
language and then alters either (1) changes in time, (2) changes in place, (3) changes in order, (4)
changes in person [name], (5) change in number or extremity or (6) change in the subject and
object.

● Too Broad: this trap answer choice happens when an answer choice is beyond the scope of the
keyword sentence or the entire main point of the passage.

● Too Narrow: this trap answer occurs when an answer choice does not contain necessary
information or leaves our part of the answer. Half right is wrong!
Lecture 1 (Notes and Answers Analysis)

If you would like to follow along with the conversations and lectures we are using, please

go to the following link:

http://www.ets.org/c/17722/index.html. We are doing Volume 3 (PDF with transcripts and MP3

audio files); Listening Practice Set 2: Lecture and Questions. Paste the link into your browser and follow

along!!!

Listening Practice Set 2: Lecture and Questions Play Track 3 (Track 4 is the Replay Question)

 Track 3 (MP3)
 Track 4 (MP3)

Before detailing the notes and answer review. Note that this is a “Discussion”
Lecture, where the professor speaks and takes student questions. Also, you will note that
good note-taking involves knowing what to write, not writing everything.

Lecture Notes: (Notice how organized our notes are and how we recognize when to shift in our
format.

Main Idea: sounds too high humans to hear

I. Ultrasound

A. Used by animals detect, send out sound

B. Stud. Ex: bats, blind, use sound (prof. echolocation, use echoes)

II. Another Ex

A. Stud. Bats use finding food, avoid predator, find prey

B.

III. All bats blind?

 A. Some rely on vision, but many vision too weak

B.

IV. How works?

A. Send out pulse, analyze waves bouncing back (prof. self interruption: gave
read assgn) deter wall location

B.

V. Another size and shape

A. can quickly identify moth, but moth detect ultra, time escape, stop beating
wings to fool

B.

VI. Underestimated

A. Thought filtering out sound, radar does remove clutter, but bats don’t filter

B. Ex: : lesser spear bat, should be hard, different surfaces, shapes, angles,
echoes chaotic, bats can tell different trees, leaves/needles

VII. How Bat knows?

A. Could be shape; prof good point

B. Echo all leaves matter, pine tree dense needles make reflect smooth echo,
very even, oak makes jagged form, bat tell difference

Before we go forward with answering the questions, let’s take a look at how I knew to

recognize important information to write down and when to separate from one section of notes to
another. Recall, from our previous lesson that by following the Real Talk Dialogue and

Common Key Words, a note-taker can know exactly when it is time to take notes. Common

Key Words include transitions, question words (what, who, where, how), and sign post words.

Below, is the list of transitions/signal phrases from the lecture that gave clues to the pertinent

information:

Real Talk Dialogue and Common Key Words From Lecture

1. Digression (a digression is heard in the very beginning prior to introducing the main idea
2. Now let’s talk about……..
3. Interruption (student answers professor question
4. What else…..(student gives more example/info)
5. Now before I go on………….
6. Okay So………….
7. Self-Interruption (professor interrupts self- likely replay question)
8. Another thing…… however……
9. Now…… In fact
10. How know that……

While listening to the lecture, if you write down whatever comes after this language, you will

have all of the necessary notes. It is imperative that you memorize the common key words and

recognize Real Talk signals when you hear them.

Lesson: Go back and listen to the lecture again. Pay close attention to the signal words

listed above, so that you can get used to listening out for them when self-practicing and on the

actual TOEFL iBT exam.

Lecture 1 Question Analysis

Here is a repeat of the notes taken from the lecture that will be used to answer the questions. We

will of course use the Answering Process, Question Strategies and Traps Knowledge noted above

and in earlier lessons. Also, you should have the entire question strategies memorized. If you

don’t have the strategies memorized, you will make very simple, silly mistakes.

MEMORIZE the question strategies!!!!!!

Main Idea: sounds too high humans to hear

VIII. Ultrasound

C. Used by animals detect, send out sound

D. Stud. Ex: bats, blind, use sound (prof. echolocation, use echoes)

IX. Another Ex

B. Stud. Bats use finding food, avoid predator, find prey

B.

X. All bats blind?

B. Some rely on vision, but many vision too weak

B.

XI. How works?

B. Send out pulse, analyze waves bouncing back, see diagram, (prof. self-
interruption: gave read assgn, not add to diagram), determine wall location
(Question 7 source and Answer)

B.
 XII. Another size and shape

A. can quickly identify moth, but moth detect ultra, time escape, stop beating
wings to fool (Question 8 source and Answer)

B.

XIII. Underestimated

C. Thought filtering out sound, radar does remove clutter, but bats don’t filter

D. Ex: lesser spear bat, should be hard, different surfaces, shapes, angles, echoes
chaotic, bats can tell different trees, leaves/needles (Question 9 source and
notes)

XIV. How Bat knows?

C. Could be shape; prof good point

D. Echo all leaves matter, pine tree dense needles make reflect smooth echo,
very even, oak makes jagged form, bat tell difference (Question 10
source and Answer)

Question and Answer Analysis

15. What is the lecture mainly about? This is a Main Idea question, so we must focus on the

word “Mainly”, the central idea or primary focus of the writing is the goal. So, the strategy is

to look at the Introduction notes and the Main Points made. Our notes say the following: (sounds

too high humans to hear, ultrasound, another example, all bats blind, how works, another

size/shape, how bat knows)

(A) How animals emit ultrasonic pulses

(B) How bats use acoustical signals

(C) A comparison of echolocation and radar

(D) Variations among bats in the use of ultrasound

B, is the correct answer, based upon the information noted above, the passage is mainly

discussing how bats use acoustical signals.

A, is incorrect as it falls into the trap of Too Broad since the passage is not about “animals” in

general, but about sounds and bats. Knowing traps is IMPORTANT!

C, is incorrect as it falls into the trap of Too Narrow since echolocation and radar is something

mentioned in the beginning of the passage, but not the main discussion.

D, is incorrect as it falls into trap of Not Mentioned since main discussion is on how used, not

variations among bats. This wrong answer is very attractive, since it uses exact language of

“bats” and “ultrasound” and come in the beginning, which is where most students are trained to

find the Main Idea.

16. Why does the professor decide NOT to add more information to the diagram on the board?

This is a details question and the key word language is (not, information and diagram on

board). Next step is to go to notes and find language (see underlined in notes). The notes

say: Send out pulse, analyze waves bouncing back, see diagram, (prof. self-interruption: gave

read assgn, not add to diagram), determine wall location Read this information and pick

matching answer.

(A) She wants students to complete the diagram themselves as an assignment.

(B) She needs to look up some information in order to complete the diagram accurately.

(C) The additional information is not relevant to the topic that she wants to discuss next.

(D) Students already have the additional information in their textbook.

D, is the correct answer choice based upon the information that a reading assignment was given,

and not add to diagram.

A, is incorrect and is a trap answer, the Exact Language (diagram and assignment) pulls a

student towards this answer, especially for those picking based upon “I heard these words, so

these words are the answer”. There is no mention of the verb “complete” or synonym of word.

B, is incorrect as we have the Wrong Verb trap since there is not mention or synonym of the

words “look up” in the notes.

C, is incorrect as there is nothing in the notes about it being “not relevant”, so again this verb is

not mentioned in the notes. This answer choice is a bad inference, the answer is directly stated.
17. According to the professor, what are two ways in which a moth might react when it detects

the

presence of a bat? Choose 2 answers. This is a details/multi-choice question and the key

words are (moth, react and detect). The key words are underlined above and state (can

quickly identify moth, but moth detect ultra, time escape, stop beating wings to fool). We must

pick Two Answers!

[A] The moth might stop beating its wings.

[B] The moth might emit high-frequency sounds.

[C] The moth might leave the area.

[D] The moth might change its color to match its surroundings.

A and C, are the correct answers based upon the information in the notes (time escape and stop

beating wings).

B, is incorrect due to the trap Not Mentioned since no mention of verb “emit sound”

D, is incorrect due to the trap od Not Mentioned since no mention of “change its color”

18. What surprising information did a recent experiment reveal about lesser spear-nosed bats?

This is a details question and the key words are (information reveal and lesser spear), so

now go look in notes for some of these words together (see underlined). The notes say: (:

lesser spear bat, should be hard, different surfaces, shapes, angles, echoes chaotic, bats can tell

different trees, leaves/needles)

(A) They filter out echoes from some types of trees.

(B) They can analyze echoes from stationary objects with complex surfaces.
(C) They cannot analyze “jagged” echoes.

(D) They cannot analyze echoes from certain types of small moving objects.

B, is the correct answer as it fits with the language in the notes from a synonym perspective

with the language “different shapes-surfaces-angles (complex surfaces), can tell different trees

(stationary objects)” matching. Remember correct answers are about spotting synonym language,

not the same words (exact language).

A, is incorrect and very tricky as a lot of students end up picking this wrong answer because they

see the words “echoes and trees” in their notes or even more damaging they recall hearing this

words. This choice is a memory trap answer that is designed to punish those relying on memory.

The notes do not say they filter “some” trees.

C, is incorrect as it plays on traps of misplaced Negative Word “not” and more importantly

information from a section not from question source since the word “jagged” is mentioned in the

last part of the notes.

D, is incorrect based on the trap of Not Mentioned since there is no mention of “small moving

objects” they “cannot analyze”

19. According to the professor, why does a pine tree produce a “smooth” echo? The keywords
here are “pine tree, smooth echo” and that language is found (underlined in notes): “Echo
all leaves matter, pine tree dense needles make reflect smooth echo, very even, oak makes jagged
form, bat tell difference.” Now we must look for a match below, keeping in mind the aspect of
synonym language!

(A) Because it has a smooth trunk

(B) Because it has large branches spaced at regular intervals

(C) Because it has many small, densely packed needles

(D) Because it remains stationary in all types of weather

C, is the correct answer since it matches the language following the key words “pine needles”.

Remember as stated earlier having the same words is not always wrong, but often exact language

is used as a trick if one is not aware of how verbs and adjectives can change a answer choice.

A, is wrong by falling into the trap Not Mentioned since the word “trunk” is not found.

B, is incorrect again due to the trap Not Mentioned since there is no language attached to pin

needles and “branches spaced at regular intervals.”

D, is incorrect do to the traps Not Mentioned (remains stationary) and Extreme Language (all

types).

20. Listen to Track 4. This is a Replay Question and as you know, we advise taking notes

from the replay so that you can have in front of you the language said: “now, before I go on,

let me respond to something carol was saying….” Remember, we are trying to determine the

FUNCTION of the language, not a literal translation. This question often tests you

understanding of the nuances of English.

(A) To answer a question that Carol asked

(B) To correct a statement that Carol made

(C) To praise Carol for an example that she gave

(D) To give an example of a principle that Carol stated

B, is the correct answer choice as the professor is making an alteration to a previous statement by

the student.

A, is incorrect as the Carol answered a question, she did not answer a question.

C, is incorrect because there is no language that will link to the word “praise.”

D, is incorrect as there was no example given, just an adjustment to the extreme statement Carol

made.