listening

LISTENING

THE HEINEMANN TOEFL

Audio script

Listening Comprehension Section Test
Part A (EXLSTA)

1. * I really enjoyed that article
* Me, too

What does the man mean?

D. He agrees with the woman.

2. * How long is Grace doing at her new job?
* I haven’t heard from her lately.

What does the man imply about Grace?

A. He hasn’t spoken to her for awhile.

3. * Excuse me. Where can I find the milk?
* It’s in the dairy section next to the cheese.

Where does the conversation probably take place?

C. In a grocery store.

4. * I heard you’re not feeling well.
* I just seem to be going from bad to worse.

What does the woman mean?

C. She’s feeling worse all the time.

5. * Isn’t this a gorgeous painting!
* No kidding!

What does the woman mean?

D. She agrees with the man.

6. * I need to study for my history midterm.
* Shouldn’t you study for your English test, too?

What does the man suggest?

C. The woman should study for both tests.

7. * What the matter, Mary?
* Are you having trouble with your lab experiment?
* I’m at the end of my rope!

How does Mary feel?

D. Frustrated.

8. * Professor Carvellas, would it be possible for me to take my exam
a few days ahead of schedule
* Sure thing.

What does Professor Carvellas mean?

C. The woman may take the test early

9. * Did you ever make that phone call?
* Actually, I got Janice to do it.

What does the man mean?

A. Janice called someone for him.

10. * When will Karen finish her thesis?
* I don’t know.
* She keeps putting it off

What does the man say about Karen?

D. He doesn’t know when she will do the thesis.

11. * I went skiing yesterday
* Oh, so there was snow after all.

What had the women assumed?

C. That there wouldn’t be any snow.

12. * I’m not sure where the cafeteria is.
* It’s not far.
* Why don’t we walk over there together

What is the woman suggesting?

B. She will show the man where to go.

13. * Do you mind if I borrow your dictionary?
* Jane has it right now.

What can be inferred from the man response?

C. His dictionary is not available right now.

14. * Can you hear the birds singing?
* I could if the traffic weren’t so heavy.

What does the man mean?

D. He cannot hear the birds over the noise of the cars.

15. * Have you been visited Yellowstone National Park?
* Visited! I used to be a tour guide there!

What does the man mean?

B. He knows the park very well.

16. * Susan certainly looks tired today.
* She went up all night working on her term paper

What does the woman say about Susan?

D. She didn’t go to bed last night.

17 * Aren’t you ready yet?
* The movie starts in ten minutes!
* I thought we were going out tomorrow night.

What does the woman mean?

C. She hadn’t planned on going out tonight.

18. * I don’t have enough money to pay for these books now.
* Can you send me a bill?
* We don’t do that anymore.

What does the man mean?

D. He doesn’t need any more books

19. * So, what do you think of Jack’s new car?
* It was in the shop being repaired while I was visiting him.

What does the woman imply?

C. She didn’t get to see Jack’s car new car.

20. * Aren’t our room ready to move into yet?
* The cleaning crew is just gearing up!

What does the woman mean?

D. The rooms haven’t been cleaned yet.

21 * What can I ask to type my final paper?
* What about Clara?
* She doesn’t seem to be too busy these days.

What does the woman mean?

A. Clara might be are now ready.

22. * I’m afraid I’ll have to get a job next semester.
* I can’t afford my rent anymore.
* Have you thought about looking for a less expensive apartment?

What does the woman suggest the man do?

A. Move to a more affordable apartment.

23. * The project I’m working on will take several months to finish.
* Good thing it’s not due until May!

What does the man mean?

C. The woman has time to finish her project.

24. * Karen missed the test today.
* I heard. What I need to know is when she can make it up

What does the woman mean?

A. She wonders when Karen can take her test.

25. * Have you read that novel I lent you?
* I can’t seem to get into it.

What does the woman mean?

D. The book doesn’t interest her very much.

26. * I can hardly see to drive, the sun is so bright.
* All you need is a good pair of sunglasses.

What does the woman imply?

D. The man’s problem could easily be solved.

27. * Listen to that wind!
* The paper said it should die down by this evening.

What does the woman mean?

A. The wind will not last through the night.

28. * What’s that big book you’re carrying?
* You mean this one?
* Oh, that’s my new dictionary.
* All English majors had to buy one

What can be inferred about the women?

B. She is majoring in English.

29. * Look, we know you’re busy, but you come late to every meeting!
* I’m so sorry!
* I didn’t realize that it bothered you all so much.

What will the woman probably do?

A. Start coming to meetings on time.

30. * Didn’t Sharon go to the meeting with you last week?
* Even if she hadn’t had other things to do,
I wouldn’t have bothered her to go to that one.

What does the man mean?

D. He didn’t feel it was necessary for Sharon to attend the meeting.

Part B (EXLSTB)

Questions 31 through 34. Listen to a conversation between two friends

Yesterday a man came and tested the water in my apartment.

He told me that it was “hard” and that I should have it “softened.”

What did he mean by that?

Well, hard water is water that has a lot of mineral in it.

So, what? What difference does that make?

It is dangerous to my health?

Not usually.

But hard water reduces the cleaning power of some kinds of soap.

The mineral in hard water react with soap to form a substance that sticks to your clothes and can make them turn gray or yellow.

No wonder my socks are grey!

How do I “soften” my water?

A. Well, one thing you can do is add a mineral dissolving powder to your washing machine every time you wash.

A. But that take a lot of time and it gets expensive.

A. A better idea is to buy a machine called a water softener that softens all the water in your house at one time.

A. Most people prefer to do this. Don’t forget-you’re using hard water every time you shower or wash dishes, too.

A. It can leave a residue on your skin, in your hair, and on your dishes.

A. In that case, I guess I really should buy a water softener for my apartment

A. Do you know where I can get one or how much they cost?

B. I’ll bet the man who tested your water yesterday knows that information.

A. You’re right.

A. He probably does

A. Can I borrow your phone to give him a call?

31. What is the main topic of this conversation?

B. The effects of hard water.

32. In this conversation, what does hard mean?

A. Containing minerals.

33. According to the woman what is the best solution to the man’s problem?

B. Buying a machine.

34. What will the man probably do next?

D. Call the man who tested his water.

Questions 35 through 38. Listen to a telephone conversation between a students and her friend.

A. Hello

A. Hi, Rick.

A. This is Amanda

A. Oh. Hi Amanda

A. Nice to hear from you

A. What’s up?

A. Well, I call to let you know when my last day of school is here at Ivy College and to ask you if I could still take you up on your offer to take me to the airport that day to catch my flight home.

A. I’d be happy to help you out if I can, but what are your travel plans?

A. Well, my last exam is on June 13.

A. My plane leaves at 11:00 that right.

A. I guess I should leave here sometime around 9:00 or so if I could.

A. Let’s see …

A. What day of the week is that?

A. It’s Friday

A. Friday the thirteenth.

A. I hope you’re not superstitious!

A. What do you mean?

A. Some people think it’s bad luck to do anything important on Friday the thirteenth-like driving around in cars and things like that.

A. Oh, I don’t pay any attention to superstitious.

A. Hmm. Let me look at my calendar …

A. I’ll be flying back from a conference in Chicago early that evening.

A. I should be able to come and get you, but I might not be able to make it until a little after 9:00, depending on when my plane arrives.

A. It might be closer to 9:30

A. Will that be too late?

A. No. That should be all right, I think.

A. My flight does leave pretty late, and the airport isn’t far from here.

A. If you come at 9:00, I’ll also have time to go out for dinner with some friends and finish my packing without feeling too rushed.

A. OK. By the way, how much stuff do you have?

A. Should I bring my car, or should I borrow my Dad’s van?

A. It would probably be easier to fit everything into a van.

A. Your car is pretty small.

A. Do you think your Dad would mind lending you his van, though?

A. I don’t think so.

A. He doesn’t use it much anymore.

A. We only need it one in a while for doing things like-well-like helping friends like you move stuff around.

A. Great! Thanks a lot Rick.

A. I’ll see you Friday evening!

A. Right. See you then. Bye.

35. What is the main topic of this conversation?

B. Transportation arrangements.

36. Why does Amanda think that Rick might not want to help her out?

A. He might be superstitious.

37. Why does Rick think he might be a little late?

C. He will be flying in from Chicago earlier that evening.

38. How does Rick feel about borrowing his father’s van?

C. He is quite sure it won’t be a problem.

Part C (EXLSTC)
Questions 39 through 42. Listen to a biology professor give an introductory lecture to his students.

A. You are about to begin a course in biology, the study of life.

A. The focus of this course will be the study of different kinds of organism, or living things.

A. In the first part of this course you’ll learn to colonize the major groups of organism that exist today.

A. To do this, you’ll learn about the physical characteristics which set one type of organism apart from others.

A. However, biology is more than just a study which describe the many differences among living things.

A. There are nearly two million known kinds of living organism.

A. You could not possibly learn about all or even most of them in a one-semester course like this one.

A. Therefore, during the second part of this course, your study of life will focus on the similarities among organism.

A. These similarities most often involve the life processes of organism-their activities and functions.

A. By studying these processes, you will see that there are certain features common to all living things.

A. In this way, by the time you complete the course with me, you will have a good understanding of what is meant by the word life.

39. According to the speaker, what is an organism?

D. A living thing

40. What will students learn to do during the first part of the course?

B. Write a comprehensive definition of the word life.

41. According to the speaker, why is it impossible to learn about every organism?

A. Because there are too many of them.

42. According to the speaker, what is it that usually makes living things similar?

B. Their activities and functions.

Questions 43 through 46. Listen to a talk given by a college running coach.
C. I’m glad to see that so many of you that turned out for the cross-country running team.

A. Before we start our first practice, though, there are some things I want you to know.

A. Running long distances is not an easy undertaking.

A. You are going to need months of training to gradually build up your stamina and strength for this spot.

A. This is going to mean demanding workouts for three hours a day, in all kinds of weather.

A. We will be working out every morning before school and after school and on Saturday mornings as well, when we don’t have a race.

A. Sunday will be your day of rest, but I will recommend that you do some light weight lifting and muscle workouts on your own Sunday, too, so you don’t lose any muscle tone.

A. Most of our races will take place on Saturday mornings.

A. That means that we’ll sometimes be traveling long distances by bus on Friday nights to get to where the races take place.

We’ll often get back home late on Saturday nights.

So, if you don’t want to give up your weekend social life for a while, the cross-country running team is not for you.

I hope you’re still interested in being a member of the team after hearing about some of the sacrifices you’ll have to make.

I felt that it was important for you to know what will be expected of you.

If you’re still as interested in running as I am, then let’s get started!

43. What is the purpose of this talk?

C. To describe the scarifies necessary to be on the running team.

44. What does the speaker recommend that team members do on Sundays?

B. Work out on their own.

45. What does the speaker say about weekend social activities?

B. Team members won’t have much time for social activities.

46. What will probably happen next?

A. Practice will begin.

Questions 47 through 50. Listen to a college professor speaking to an art history class.
F. Winslow Homer was an American artist who lived from 1836 to 1910.

A. He became famous primarily for his dramatic paintings of the sea.

A. Homer was born in Boston, and as a young man he became apprenticed to a lithographer.

A. He later became a magazine illustrator, and during the American Civil War, he was hired by a magazine called Harper‘s Weekly to illustrate battlefield scenes.

A. He also began painting with oils at that time and depicted rural American life in all of its simplicity and plainness.

A. The country people in Homer’s paintings have a charm and, at the same time, a heroic quality that make them very appealing.

A. After a trip to a coastal town in England in 1881 and 1882, Homer turned his attention to the sea.

A. When he returned to America, he settled in a town on the coast of Maine, and there he completed many of his paintings of the sea.

A. These paintings often have a strong romantic quality and are well known for their drama and subtle use of light.

A. During the late 1800s, Homer became fascinated with what he considered to be the particularly American struggle between humanity and the forces of nature.

A. This struggle was clearly depicted in his paintings of the sea.

A. His fishermen and ship captains were not so much individuals as they were symbols of the courage and strength found in the men who made their living on the sea.

A. Just as the people in his paintings had a universal quality, so did the sea itself.

A. The sea in his paintings often has a quality of violence, or near-violence.

A. In his painting entitled The Gulf Stream, we see a young Black man, alone on a small boat in a rough sea, surrounded by sharks.

A. He will clearly face a struggle for survival.

A. It seems unlikely that he can win.

A. Homer’s paintings of the sea are romantic yet highly realistic.

A. During his years on the coast of Maine, he was able to paint many of the changing moods of the Atlantic Ocean.

A. It was here that the perfected his ability to portray drama in at and developed his use of transparent liquids to convey a strong scene of light.

47. What kinds of paintings is Winslow Homer most famous for?

D. Intensely dramatic paintings of the sea.

48. What characterized Homer’s paintings of American country people?

A. A sense of the charm and simplicity of country life.

49. What is portrayed in the painting called The Gulf Stream?

B. A single man, a small boat and an unfriendly sea.

50. For what purpose did Homer use transparent liquids?

C. To convey a strong feeling of light.