62 Section 1 • Guide to Listening Comprehension

LESSON 12
ANSWERING OVERVIEW QUESnONS ABOUT EXTENDED CONVERSATIONS

After each extended conversation in Part B, there are four to five questions. Usually the first and
sometimes the last question are overview questions. To answer these questions, you need an
understanding of the whole conversation rather than of any specific point.

Overview Questions for the Extended Conversations

• What is the main topic of this conversation?
• What are these people primarily discussing?
• Where does this conversation take place?
• When does this conversation take place?
• What is the relationship between the speakers?
• What is the man's/woman's occupation?
• What is one speaker's attitude toward the other speaker?
Main topic questions must correctly summarize the conversation. Incorrect answers for these
questions are too general, too specific, or incorrect according to the conversation.
Although these questions require an overall understanding of the conversations, the first few
sentences often "set the scene." In other words, the opening lines of the talk establish the time, place,
and main topic. Read the opening lines of the extended conversation given below:
Ml: (Answering phone) Hello?
Fl: Hi, Rod, this is Rita-I'm in your nine o'clock class. I missed class because of a cold, and I
was wondering if I could borrow your notes.
Ml: I don't know if you could read my notes-I have terrible handwriting. But I can tell you what
happened. Professor Phillips went over the material in Chapter 4, about different types of
stars in our galaxy. And she talked about what the mid-term exam is going to be like.
Fl: Uh-oh, you better tell me all about the mid-term-I really need to do well on it.
From this portion of a conversation, we learn that
· .. both of the speakers are students
· .. they are probably taking a course in astronomy
· .. the class is about halfway over (because they are taking mid-term exams)
· .. the rest of the talk will probably deal with the material that will be on the examination
Not all conversations begin with so much detail. However, it is important to concentrate on the
opening lines to learn this kind of information.

Exercise 12

Focus: Listening to the opening lines of extended conversations, and answering overview questions
about the topics, settings, and speakers.
Directions: Listen to the conversations and the questions about them. Then mark the answer
choice-(A), (B), or (C)-that correctly completes the sentence. The first one is done as an example.
-4))) Now start the audio.
1. ___ (A) Methods of predicting earthquakes.
~ (B) Ways to improve the man's presentation.
___ (C) The many new uses of computer graphics.
2. ___ (A) Statistics.
_ _ _ (B) Computer science.
~ (C) Geology.
 Section 1 • Guide to Listening Comprehension 63

3. ___ (A) A language teacher and a student.

___ (B) A dean and a teacher.
_ _ _ (C) A teacher and an assistant.

4. _ _ (A) The language of the deaf.

_ _ _ (B) Methods of teaching German.
___ (C) Communication networks.
5. ___ (A) Professor Quinn's approach to teaching.
_ _ _ (B) The process of getting a student identification card.
___ (C) Procedures for checking out reserve material.
6. ___ (A) At a university library.
_ _ (B) In a psychology class.
_ _ (C) In a laboratory.
7. _ _ (A) To ask for a job.
_ _ _ (B) To get some advice.
___ (C) To discuss medical research.
8. ___ (A) Academic advisor.
_ _ _ (B) Physician.
___ (C) Administrator.
9. _ _ (A) Helpful.
___ (B) Discouraging.
___ (C) Inconsiderate.
10. ___ (A) The art of raising dogs.
_ _ (B) A softball game.
_ _ (C) A dogsled race.
11. ___ (A) An archaeologist.
_ _ _ (B) An anthropologist.
___ (C) A university student.
12. ___ (A) Their plans for the coming school year.
___ (B) Tina's volunteer position.
_ (C) Tina's trip to Europe.
13._ (A) A clerk at a bookstore.
__ (B) A librarian .
. .0 "_ _ (C) A publisher's sales officer.
14. ___ (A) Before the spring term begins.
_ __ (B) In the middle of the spring term.
_0.00_(C) After the spring term ends.
15. _ _ (A) In Nicholson Hall.
___ (B) In the Graduate Admissions Office.
___ (C) In the Financial Aid Office.
16. ___ (A) Requirements for graduate admission.
___ (B) Directions to another office.
___ (C) The woman's need for a scholarship.
 64 Section 1 • Guide to Listening Comprehension

LESSON 13
ANSWERING DETAIL QUESTIONS ABOUT
EXTENDED CONVERSATIONS

Most of the questions in Part B are detail questions that require an understanding of specific points
in the conversation. A majority of these questions are factual questions, asking what, where,
when, why, and how much. To answer the question, you need to listen carefully.
Other questions are inference questions. As previously explained, the answers to inference
questions are not directly stated, but are suggested by information in the lecture. Many of these
questions begin, "What do the speakers imply about ..." or "What can be inferred from the
conversation about ..."
Remember that the order of detail questions follows the order of the conversation. In other
words, the first detail question will be about something mentioned early in the conversation while
the last one is about something mentioned near the end of the conversation.
If anything in the conversation is emphasized, it will probably be asked about. In other words, if
something one speaker says is repeated by the second speaker, or if one speaker talks about
something in an emphatic tone of voice, there will probably be a question about that information, as
in this section of a conversation:
Ml: My project for my film-making class took me six weeks to finish.
F1: Six weeks! I can hardly believe it. Doesn't the teacher realize you have other
classes too?
You can be fairly sure that there will be a question such as this: "How long did the man's project
take to complete?"

Exercise 13.1

Focus: Answering detail and inference questions based on specitk points in short portions of
extended conversations.
Directions: You will hear three extended conversations, each one divided into several short
portions. After each portion, there will be a number of questions based on that part of the talk. Mark
the best answer choice-(A), (B), or (C)-for each question. The first one is done as an example.
l1li))) Now start the audio.
l. _ _ (A) A doctor.
.___ (B) A newspaper.
~ (C) A magazine.

2. ___ (A) It's too tiring.

___ (B) It can cause injuries.
____ (C) It's not demanding enough.
3. _ _ (A) Downhill skiing.
_ _ (B) Jogging.
___ (C) Cross-country skiing.
4. _ . _ (A) It doesn't require much snow
____ (B) It is a recently developed sport.
___ (C) It can be done in flat areas .
.:;. ___ (A) Use a cross-country ski machine.
___ (B) Travel to ski resorts.
___ (C) Take up jogging.
 Section 1 • Guide to Listening Comprehension 65

6. ___ (A) The expense.

___ (B) The weather conditions.
_ _ (C) The danger.
7. ___ (A) He stayed up most of the night.
___ (B) He's been studying all morning.
___ (C) He took an exam last night.
S. ___ (A) It was an improvement.
_ _ _ (B) It was disappointing.
___ (C) It was unfair.
9. ___ (A) Undergraduate students.
___ (B) Teachers.
___ (C) Graduate students.
lO. ___ (A) She learned how to do research.
___ (B) She was prepared for her sociology test.
___ (C) She learned teaching techniques.
11. ___ (A) Basic scientific research.
___ (B) Business management.
_ _ (C) Test-taking skills.
12. ___ (A) In the library.
___ (B) In the Physics Tower.
_ _ _ (C) In Staunton Hall.

13. ___ (A) Study for his next exam.

_ _ _ (B) Go to the Study Skills Center.
___ (C) Get some sleep.
14. ____ (A) To buy something at an auction.
____ (B) To pay for employees' salaries.
___ (C) To improve their broadcasts.
15. ____ (A) Apply for a job at the station.
____ (B) Donate his services for the station's auction.
___ (C) Direct the construction of a new tower.
16. ___ (A) She must work on her own research project.
_ _ (B) She has to help her parents.
___ (C) She must study for exams.
17. ___ (A) They seldom attend auctions.
_ _ _ (B) They might bid on the man's services.
___ (C) They use the library often.

Exercise 13.2

Focus: Answering detail and inference questions based on specific points in complete extended
conversations.
Directions: You will hear four extended conversations. After each conversation, there will be a
number of questions based on it. Mark the best answer choice-(A), (B), or (C)-for each question.
The first one is done as an example .
.-))) Now start the audio.