MAKE INFERENCES.OFTEN PEOPLE DO NOT SAY WHAT THEYMEAN IN EXPLICIT T...
3. Make inferences.
Often people do not say what they
mean in explicit terms. In these cases, you need draw a
logical conclusion based on details or from what is
suggested
in a conversation. In the listening test, some
questions ask you to make inferences based on a
speaker’s tone, or attitude about his or her subject.
Tone:
a speaker’s mood or attitude expressed in speech
Man 1:
How about you help me fix my car today?
Man 2:
Sure, Sam. Right after I go to work, go to the game,
and study!
Question:
What does Man 2’s reply suggest?
a.
He plans on helping Sam fix his car.
b.
He doesn’t have time to help Sam today.
c.
He will help Sam, if Sam does his homework for him.
d.
He is promising to help.
Choice b
is correct. In speech, people often use tone rather
than words to convey meaning. A word like “sure” can have
dozens of meanings depending on the speaker’s tone. Dur-
ing the exam, listen to how
someone speaks. Consider the
speaker’s attitude or mood: is he or she expressing joy, anger,
disbelief, or another emotion?
Inference questions may also ask you to draw a conclu-
sion based on what a speaker implies
or assumes. Here is an
example:
Woman:
Frank, how do I get to Times Square?
Frank:
Ask Sarah. She’s a native New Yorker.
Question:
What is Frank assuming about Sarah?
a.
She always carries a map of New York City.
b.
She doesn’t know how to get to Times Square.
c.
She will know how to get to Times Square because she
grew up in New York.
d.
Frank doesn’t know how to get to Times Square.
Choice c
is correct. Choice a
may be true, but it is not what
Frank is implying. Choice
d
may be true, but it doesn’t answer
the question.
The last type of inference question asks you to make a log-
ical conclusion about what the speaker will do in the future
based on the conversation:
Woman:
I forgot my textbook. Professor Jacob said we
could look at our books during the test.
Man:
I have a copy that I’m not using.
Question:
What will the woman probably do?
a.
Borrow the man’s textbook for the test.
b.
Go home so she can get her book.
c.
Ask the professor if she can take the test another day.
d.
Call home and see if her roommate will bring it to her.
Choice a
is correct. The man is offering his book to the
woman even though he is not saying it explicitly. You can make
this conclusion based on what he is suggesting.
OTHER QUESTION TYPES ON THE COMPUTER TEST
Most of the questions on the computer-based test are traditional
multiple choice, but some are types that can only be used on a
computer. If you are taking the computer-based TOEFL exam,
become familiar with these question types:
■
Questions with more than one answer.
You will select
two of four possible answer choices. Here is an example:
Acid rain looks, feels, even tastes like clean rainwater, but it
actually contains high levels of pollutants. Although natural
sources like gases from forest fires can be part of the problem,
the burning of fossil fuels, such as car exhaust and smoke from
factories, is the main cause of acid rain. This how it works: pol-
lutants mix in the atmosphere to form fine particles that can
be carried long distances by wind. Eventually, they return to
the ground in the form of rain or other precipitation. Acid rain
has caused widespread damage in eastern North America,
Europe, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
Question:
Based on the lecture, which of the following can
cause acid rain?
[Click on two answers.]
a.
contaminated drinking water
b.
natural sources
c.
man-made pollutants
d.
rain
Answer: b
and c.
■
Questions that use visual information.
You will select
an image or part of an image for your answer.
Question:
Choose the map that best represents the areas
negatively affected by acid rain. [Click on a map.]
Answer:
You would choose a map that highlights eastern
North America, Europe, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
■
Sequence questions.
You will put information or
events into order so that they form a process.
Question:
Summarize what happens to acid-rain pollutants
by placing the stages in the proper order. [Click on a word.
Then click on the space below where it belongs. Use each
word only once.]
form fine particles carried by wind mix in atmosphere
return to ground in rain