Lesson 1. Dialogues with Sound Confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SECTION 1: LISTENING



EXERCISE 1.1

Focus: Discriminating between soundalike words in dialogues and answer choices

Directions: Listen to the dialogues. Decide which of the two choices, (A) or (B), best answers the

question, and mark the appropriate blank.

Now start the listening program.

1. What does the woman suggest the man do?



7. What is learned about Emily?



______



(A) Get in a different lane.



______



(A) She recently moved.



______



(B) Stand in another line.



______



(B) She bought a new dress.



2. What did the children do?



8. What does Dennis say about the coffee?



______



(A) Go down the slide



______



(A) Its taste has improved.



______



(B) Play on the sled



______



(B) It tastes slightly bitter.



3. What does the woman tell the man to do

with the letters?

______



______



(B) Throw them in a pile



______



(B) His suitcase doesn’t fit in the

closet.



______



(B) It’s white bread.



______



(B) It’s being taped.



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(A) For its fast horses



______



(A) Brenda is typing it.



______



(B) He slipped in some oil.



12. Why is this area well known?



6. What does the man say about the story?

______



(A) He tripped in the aisle.



______



(A) It’s made from whole wheat.



______



(B) There’s a ship inside it.



11. What happened to Jerry?



5. What is learned about Annie’s bread?

______



(A) It’s been chipped.



______



(A) He can’t shut his suitcase.



______



(B) What she might win



10. What does the woman say about the bottle?



4. What is the man’s problem?

______



(A) How much the ticket cost



______



(A) Put them in a file



______



9. What does the man ask Ellen?



(B) For its natural resources



LESSON 1: DIALOGUES WITH SOUND CONFUSION



EXERCISE 1.2

Focus: Identifying soundalike expressions in answer choices and choosing correct answers

Directions: Listen to the dialogues. Each dialogue contains a word or phrase that sounds like a word

or phrase in two of the answer choices.

Now start the listening program.

1. What is learned about Steven and Gloria?



5. What does the woman say about Sam?



(A) He went to the shopping mall with

her.

(B) He wrote her an e-mail.

(C) He lent her some money.

(D) He plans to contact her later.



(A) He offered his help to Darlene.

(B) He made an offer to Darlene’s sister.

(C) When Darlene was gone, he missed

her.

(D) He spoke to Darlene’s assistant.



2. What does the woman say about Stuart?



6. What does the man suggest the woman do?



(A) He has an appointment with the

president.

(B) He was just appointed vice president.

(C) He’s unhappy because he lost the

election.

(D) He’s going to serve as president.



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



7. What does the woman say about Gus?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



3. What does the woman say about the class

she is going to take?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



It

It

It

It



Get a job at the hotel

Buy some cough drops

Get some copies made

Eat in the coffee shop



is the study of living plants.

is about life on other planets.

concerns the breeding of cattle.

deals with life on Earth.



He

He

He

He



has a pain behind his ear.

didn’t hear what the woman said.

can lend the man a pen.

has fallen behind in class.



4. What does Janet tell the man?

(A) She won’t leave until the rain is over.

(B) Their drain has stopped up.

(C) They shouldn’t board the train until it

completely stops.

(D) She’s been under a lot of strain lately.



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LESSON 2

Dialogues with Homonyms and

Words with Multiple Meanings

Two words are homonyms if they have the same pronunciation but are spelled differently and have

different meanings. The words flour and flower are homonyms, as are bare and bear. In some dialogues,

one or more incorrect answer choices refer to a homonym of a word that is used on the listening program,

as in the example below.

Sample Item

You will hear:*

M1: Eugene missed a lot of classes last week.

F1: That’s because he was sick. I think he had the flu.

M2: What is learned about Eugene?

You will read:

What is learned about Eugene?

(A) He has been feeling weak for a long time.

(B) Because of sickness, Eugene was absent.

(C) Eugene’s eyesight isn’t very strong, so he needs glasses.

(D) Eugene flew to another city this week.

The correct answer is (B). The dialogue contains the word week, meaning a seven-day period.

Choices (A) and (C) refer to a homonym of that word, weak, which means not strong. The dialogue

also contains the word flu, an illness similar to a bad cold. Choice (D) refers to a homonym of that

word, flew (took a trip by plane).

The dialogues may also contain words with multiple meanings. In these items, one or two of the

answer choices refer to another definition of a word as it is used in the dialogue.



* Note:

M1 = first male voice

F2 = second female voice



M2 = second male voice



26



M3 = third male voice



F1 = first female voice



LESSON 2: DIALOGUES WITH HOMONYMS AND WORDS WITH MULTIPLE MEANINGS



Sample Item

You will hear:*

F1: Are you sure this is how Lois spells her last name?

M1: It doesn’t look right, does it? In fact, I’m not even sure it starts with that letter.

M2: What does the man mean?

You will read:

What does the man mean?

(A) The letter to Lois was incorrectly addressed.

(B) Lois’ last name may be incorrectly spelled.

(C) Lois’ name appeared on the right side of the page.

(D) Lois hasn’t begun writing the letter yet.

The correct answer is (B). The dialogue contains the words right, meaning “correct,” and the

word letter, meaning a character in the alphabet. Choices (A) and (D) also contain the word letter,

but in those choices, the word has another definition—a message sent through the mail. Choice (C)

also contains the word right, but in that choice, it refers to a direction—the opposite of left.

You won’t be confused by these items if you understand the entire sentence. Again, the context of the

sentence can help you choose the correct answer. But if you focus only on single words, such as week and

flu or letter and right in the two samples, you can easily make mistakes.



EXERCISE 2.1

Focus: Using the context of dialogues to identify homonyms

Directions: Listen to the dialogues. Decide which pair of homonyms appears in the dialogues and

mark the appropriate answer, (A) or (B).

Now start the listening program.

1. ______



(A) presence



6. ______



(A) right



______



(B) presents



______



(B) write



2. ______



(A) overdue



7. ______



(A) board



______



(B) bored



______



(B) overdo



3. ______



(A) pain



8. ______



(A) brakes



______



(B) pane



______



(B) breaks



4. ______



9. ______



______



(B) wear



5. ______



(A) sail



______



(A) where



(B) sale



(A) fined



______



(B) find



* Note:

M1 = first male voice

F2 = second female voice



M2 = second male voice



27



M3 = third male voice



F1 = first female voice



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SECTION 1: LISTENING



EXERCISE 2.2

Focus: Using the context of dialogues to identify the definitions of words with multiple meanings

Directions: Listen to the dialogues. One word from the dialogue is given, along with two possible definitions

of the word. Choose the definition of the word as it is used in the dialogue and mark the appropriate answer,

(A) or (B).

Now start the listening program.

1. cold



5. tables



______



(A) minor illness



______



(A) charts



______



(B) chilly weather



______



(B) furniture



2. kind



6. coat



______



(A) type



______



(A) layer



______



(B) considerate



______



(B) warm clothing



3. light



7. field



______



(A) not heavy



______



(A) outside the classroom



______



(B) not dark



______



(B) area of study



4. wing

______



(A) part of an airplane



______



(B) part of a building



EXERCISE 2.3

Focus: Using the context of dialogues to answer questions involving both homonyms and words with

multiple definitions

Directions: Listen to the statements. Decide which of the two choices best answers the question

and mark the appropriate answer, (A) or (B).

Now start the listening program.

1. What does the woman suggest Tom do?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



3. What does the man mean?



Look for mistakes

Complete his research

Write a check

Read the newspaper



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



2. What are they discussing?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



4. What does the woman tell the man to do?



Events in the historic past

The man’s performance in class

A physical exam

A historical study



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He’d never heard of that park before.

That was the first herd he’d ever seen.

He’d never heard buffaloes before.

He wanted to go to the park but he

couldn’t.



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



28



Sign his name on this line

Follow the directions on the sign

Sign up for another class

Stand in another line



LESSON 2: DIALOGUES WITH HOMONYMS AND WORDS WITH MULTIPLE MEANINGS

5. What does the man mean?



7. What does Patrick mean?



(A) He can’t carry the luggage by himself.

(B) The handle on one of the suitcases is

broken.

(C) He bought his luggage in that store.

(D) There isn’t enough room for his

luggage there.



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



The class had a better opinion of him.

He had to stand in front of the class.

No one in the class understands him.

He wasn’t hurt in the accident.



6. What does the woman think John should

do?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



Close the window right away

Take a quick shower

Go for a swim

Put on some other clothes



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LESSON 3

Dialogues with Idioms

On many TOEFL examinations, up to half the dialogues in Part A contain idiomatic expressions. Many of

the idiomatic expressions are two- or three-word verbs, such as call off and look out for.

Sample Item

You will hear:*

F1: I wonder where Mike is.

M1: He’ll show up as soon as the work is done, I bet.

M2: What does the man say about Mike?

You will read:

What does the man say about Mike?

(A) He probably won’t arrive until the work is finished.

(B) He went to a show instead of going to work.

(C) He can show them how to do the work.

(D) He’ll probably work late today.

The correct answer is (A). The idiom show up means “arrive.” Choices (B) and (C) contain the

word show, but it is not used in the idiomatic sense.

In most dialogues, the second speaker uses the idiomatic expression. Most questions about this type of

dialogue are questions about meaning (“What does the man mean?” for example), but some are inference

questions or other types of questions. The correct answer often contains a synonym for the idiom—arrive

for show up in choice (A) of the Sample Item. Incorrect choices often contain references to the literal

meaning of idioms, as in choices (B) and (D).

Memorizing these phrases does not guarantee that you will recognize all the idiomatic expressions

that you will hear in the Listening section. There are, after all, thousands of these expressions in English.

You must develop “a good ear” for guessing the meaning of idioms. The context of the sentence will help

you to understand the expression, even if you’re unfamiliar with it.



* Note:

M1 = first male voice

F2 = second female voice



M2 = second male voice



30



M3 = third male voice



F1 = first female voice



LESSON 3: DIALOGUES WITH IDIOMS



EXERCISE 3.1

Focus: Recognizing synonyms for idiomatic expressions

Directions: Listen to the spoken statements. Each contains an idiomatic or figurative expression that

is written out. First decide which of the two choices best answers the question, and mark the

appropriate answer, (A) or (B). Then underline the phrase in the correct answer that has the same

meaning as the idiom.

Now start the listening program.

1. bumped into



5. at the drop of a hat



What does the man mean?



What does Robert imply?



______



(A) He met Caroline unexpectedly

at the cafeteria.



______



(A) He can’t leave until he finds

his hat.



______



(B) He and Caroline had an

accident.



______



(B) He’s ready to leave immediately.



6. under the weather



2. got into hot water



What does the man imply about Julie?



What does Rita mean?

______

______



______

______



(B) She took a warm bath.



(A) She didn’t want to practice

because of the bad weather.

(B) She wasn’t there because she

felt a little sick.



(A) She was in trouble.



3. hit it off



7. takes after



What does the man mean?

______

______



What does the man say about Albert?



(A) He and Chuck argued as soon

as they met.



______

______



(B) He and Chuck quickly became

friends.



(A) He looks like his grandfather.

(B) He takes care of his grandfather.



4. piece of cake

What does the woman mean?

______



(A) The exam was simple.



______



(B) She had a snack after the test.



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SECTION 1: LISTENING



EXERCISE 3.2

Focus: Understanding dialogues involving idiomatic and figurative expressions

Directions: Look over the idiomatic expressions listed before each set of items. The dialogues each

contain one of the listed expressions. Listen to the dialogues and mark the one answer choice, (A) or

(B), that best answers the question.

Now start the listening program.



Set A

believe one’s eyes

push one’s luck

get off the ground

run of the mill

lend a hand



short for

music to one’s ears

turn in

over one’s head

what the doctor ordered



1. What does the man mean?

______



(A) He’s not sure Max’s business

will succeed.



______



6. What is learned from this conversation?



(B) He doesn’t know if Max is on

the plane.



______

______



______



(B) It’s time for Gary to get some

new tires.



(A) The service is very fast there.



______



(A) Gary shouldn’t drive his car

much further.



______



(B) Elizabeth’s nickname is “Liz.”



7. What does the man say about the restaurant?



2. What does the woman imply?

______



(A) Elizabeth is taller than Liz.



(B) It’s just an average restaurant.



8. What does the woman mean?

______



(A) She enjoys the sound of

nature.



______



(B) She wishes she’d brought a

radio.



3. What will the man do next?

______



(A) Go to bed



______



(B) Turn on the television



9. What does the woman offer to do?



4. What does Alice mean?

______

______



______



(B) She left before the performance was over.



(A) Lend the man some books



______



(A) She didn’t understand all the

jokes.



(B) Help the man with the boxes



10. What does the woman mean?

______



(A) She doesn’t think the man is

telling the truth.



______



(B) She was surprised to see the

snow.



5. What does the woman mean?

______



(A) Ice water sounds perfect.



______



(B) The doctor told her to drink a

lot of water.



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LESSON 3: DIALOGUES WITH IDIOMS



Set B

by heart

call it a day

look who’s talking



chip in

get in one’s blood

take a lot of nerve



11. What does Karen mean?



14. What does the man say about Donna?



______



(A) Skiing can be a dangerous

sport.



______



______



(B) It’s easy to get into the habit

of skiing.



______



______



(B) He doesn’t study much

himself.



(A) He doesn’t want to do any

more painting today.



______



(A) She has to look for him.



______



(B) She took a bold approach.



15. What does Dan mean?



12. What does the woman imply about Norman?

______



(A) She seemed too nervous.



(B) He’ll phone the woman later

today.



16. What does the woman mean?

______



______



(A) They’ll all pay for the gasoline.



______



(A) She is going to speak the lines

in an emotional way.



______



13. What does the man mean?



(B) She’s already memorized the

scene.



(B) There will be plenty of room

in the van.



EXERCISE 3.3

Focus: Using the context of dialogues to understand the meaning of idioms

Directions: Listen to the following dialogue. Decide which of the choices best answers the question

and mark the appropriate answer.

Now start the listening program.

3. What does the woman imply?



1. What is the woman going to do next?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



(A) They both missed class because they

were sailing.

(B) The man should take better notes

during Professor Morrison’s class.

(C) She missed Friday’s class, too.

(D) She dropped Professor Morrison’s

class.



Go to work with Jim

Go out for coffee

Get some exercise

Study for a test



2. What does the man want to know?

(A) If the woman will go to the party with

him

(B) If the red tie looks good with his shirt

(C) If he should wear a tie to the party

(D) If the party is already over



4. What can be concluded about Ron?

(A) He cut himself while he was preparing

food.

(B) He doesn’t want to work in a restaurant.

(C) He’s planning to open up his own

restaurant.

(D) He’s not going to eat at a restaurant

tonight.



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SECTION 1: LISTENING

5. What does the man mean?



11. What does the man say about Dora?



(A) He wants to know if the woman is

joking.

(B) He wants the woman to leave him

alone.

(C) He’d like to know what the quiz will

be about.

(D) He needs a doctor to look at his

injured leg.



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



12. What does Roy tell the woman?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



6. What does Brian mean?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



The program was canceled.

The shuttle was launched yesterday.

The weather was better than expected.

The launch was delayed.



doesn’t have any questions for her.

won’t be able to take a trip.

can’t study during spring break.

hasn’t decided if he can take a trip.



(A) His father told him to go to medical

school.

(B) His father studied medicine.

(C) He and his father walked to the

school.

(D) He surprised his father with his

decision



(A) She stood up and left the lecture.

(B) It was too warm for her to wear a

sweater in the lecture hall.

(C) Her sweater made her easy to spot.

(D) Her notes on the lecture were easy to

read.



14. What does the woman imply about Fred?



8. What does the woman say about Phil?



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



He deserved to get a speeding ticket.

He was going to a good restaurant.

He probably wasn’t speeding.

His ticket was no longer valid.



9. What does the woman imply about George?

(A) He’s out of breath.

(B) He’ll be glad to help.

(C) If he helps, it will save the man some

money.

(D) He won’t be very cooperative.

10. What is learned about Jill from this conversation?

(A) The man didn’t get her a watch.

(B) The weather won’t be warm when she

graduates.

(C) She won’t be graduating.

(D) She isn’t going to watch the graduation.



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He

He

He

He



13. What is learned about Mick from this

conversation?



7. What does the man say about Jennifer?



(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)



She ordinarily works in a florist’s shop.

In the end, she won’t have a problem.

She wears too much perfume to work.

She can always anticipate problems at

work.



34



He would be upset if he lost money.

He shouldn’t be paid for singing.

He is generally very sympathetic.

He doesn’t know the words to the

song.