{"id":29995,"date":"2017-06-08T13:13:22","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T13:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=29995"},"modified":"2026-03-14T15:36:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T20:36:59","slug":"toefl-listening","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/toefl\/toefl-listening\/","title":{"rendered":"TOEFL<sup>&reg;<\/sup> Listening Practice Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the audio sample below and then answer the questions that follow.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/327033178&amp;color=ffcc00&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=true&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"1_What_was_Claudia_upset_about\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>1. What was Claudia upset about?<\/h3>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha\">\n<li>The status of a group project for her philosophy class<\/li>\n<li>A difficult project designing a bridge for her engineering class<\/li>\n<li>She was having trouble understanding Aristotle\u2019s philosophies and influences<\/li>\n<li>Receiving a poor grade on her midterm exams<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details class=\"togglelist\">\n<summary style=\"margin-top: -0.5em\"><strong>Answer Explanation<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1em\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>The correct answer is A.<\/strong><\/span> At the beginning of the conversation, listeners should recall that the female student, Claudia, informs the male student, Miguel, that she is stressed about a big project in her philosophy class. She says, \u201cI love the material we are learning, but I\u2019m frustrated by a big assignment that\u2019s due next week.\u201d She later reveals to Miguel that it\u2019s a midterm group project.<\/p>\n<p>Miguel was the one who had the bridge project for engineering, so Choice B is incorrect. <\/p>\n<p>There is no mention of the fact that she is struggling to understand the philosophies; in fact, she says she\u2019s enjoying the material, so Choice C is wrong. <\/p>\n<p>She has not yet received the grade for the midterm because the project is due on Monday, so Choice D is incorrect.<br \/>\n<\/details>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 2.5em\"><span id=\"2_What_were_the_components_of_the_group_project_assignment_(There_are_two_correct_choices_)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>2. What were the components of the group project assignment? (There are two correct choices.)<\/h3>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha\">\n<li>A 10-page paper<\/li>\n<li>A 20-page paper<\/li>\n<li>A 20-minute presentation<\/li>\n<li>A 10-minute presentation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details class=\"togglelist\">\n<summary style=\"margin-top: -0.5em\"><strong>Answer Explanation<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1em\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>The correct answers are A and C.<\/strong><\/span> Claudia says that they must write a 10-page paper and give a 20-minute presentation on notable philosophers.<br \/>\n<\/details>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 2.5em\"><span id=\"3_In_Claudia%E2%80%99s_sentence,_%E2%80%9CThanks_for_commiserating_with_me_Miguel,%E2%80%9D_the_word_commiserating_most_nearly_means_which_of_the_following\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>3. In Claudia\u2019s sentence, \u201cThanks for commiserating with me Miguel,\u201d the word commiserating most nearly means which of the following?<\/h3>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha\">\n<li>Communicating<\/li>\n<li>Correcting<\/li>\n<li>Agreeing<\/li>\n<li>Sympathizing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details class=\"togglelist\">\n<summary style=\"margin-top: -0.5em\"><strong>Answer Explanation<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1em\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>The correct answer is D.<\/strong><\/span> <em>Commiserating<\/em> means to sympathize of feel pity for someone else. Miguel has been in a similar situation before\u2014when he had to work on the bridge project with his engineering group and had to do most of the work himself\u2014so he is able to relate to Claudia\u2019s situation and feels badly for her. <\/p>\n<p>He also says, \u201cI don\u2019t envy the situation you\u2019re in.\u201d This means that he is glad he is not in her situation, because he knows it is not a good one to be in.<br \/>\n<\/details>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 2.5em\"><span id=\"4_Why_does_Claudia_think_her_group_is_not_taking_the_project_seriously_(There_are_two_correct_choices_)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>4. Why does Claudia think her group is not taking the project seriously? (There are two correct choices.)<\/h3>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha\">\n<li>Because one student does not enjoy philosophy class<\/li>\n<li>Because one student did a poor job covering his material<\/li>\n<li>Because two group members have not yet started on the project<\/li>\n<li>Because they know the project will not impact their grade<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details class=\"togglelist\">\n<summary style=\"margin-top: -0.5em\"><strong>Answer Explanation<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1em\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>The correct answers are B and C.<\/strong><\/span> Claudia says that she feels the people in her group are not taking the project seriously. She tells Miguel, \u201cIt\u2019s due on Monday and two of the people have yet to start their sections, and the other student\u2019s piece was terrible.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Choice A is incorrect because there is no mention that anyone in the group doesn\u2019t enjoy the material, just that one did not cover the assigned requirements in his section. <\/p>\n<p>Choice D is incorrect because there is no mention that anyone in the group doesn\u2019t think the project will impact their grade. In contrast, it is mentioned that the project is worth 40% of one\u2019s overall course grade.<br \/>\n<\/details>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 2.5em\"><span id=\"5_In_the_sentence_below,_what_does_the_male_student_mean_when_he_says_he_%E2%80%9Chad_to_carry_the_weight_of_the_whole_group%E2%80%9D\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>5. In the sentence below, what does the male student mean when he says he \u201chad to carry the weight of the whole group\u201d?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Male student: &#8220;I had to carry the weight of the whole group since no one held up their end.&#8221;<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha\">\n<li>His bridge design had to hold the entire load dictated by the assignment.<\/li>\n<li>He needed to manage everyone in his group and assign them various roles in the project.<\/li>\n<li>He had to take on the bulk of the group work by himself.<\/li>\n<li>He had to demonstrate how much weight the bridge could hold before it collapsed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details class=\"togglelist\">\n<summary style=\"margin-top: -0.5em\"><strong>Answer Explanation<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1em\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>The correct answer is C.<\/strong><\/span> When Miguel says that he \u201chad to carry the weight of the whole group since no one held up their end,\u201d he means that he had to take on the bulk of the work. He adds, \u201cIt was so much work to do by myself.\u201d This is a figure of speech and not to be taken literally; it does not relate to the bridge supporting a certain weight before collapsing as indicated in the other answer choices.<br \/>\n<\/details>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 2.5em\"><span id=\"6_Why_does_the_female_student_say_%E2%80%9CBefore_this,_I_always_loved_group_projects,_but_now,_my_opinion_has_shifted%E2%80%9D\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>6. Why does the female student say: \u201cBefore this, I always loved group projects, but now, my opinion has shifted\u201d?<\/h3>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha\">\n<li>She used to enjoy group projects, but after the current negative experience, she no longer likes them.<\/li>\n<li>She didn\u2019t used to like group projects, but after the current negative experience, she now enjoys them.<\/li>\n<li>She has changed her views of things after learning about the ideals of notable philosophers.<\/li>\n<li>She didn\u2019t used to like philosophy class, but after this project, she now enjoys it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details class=\"togglelist\">\n<summary style=\"margin-top: -0.5em\"><strong>Answer Explanation<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1em\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>The correct answer is A.<\/strong><\/span> Claudia says, \u201cBefore this, I always loved group projects, but now, my opinion has shifted\u201d to convey that she used to love group projects, but now that has changed (shifted) due to the current negative experience with her group, so she no longer likes them. <\/p>\n<p>Choice B essentially reverses her shift. <\/p>\n<p>Choices C and D may be attractive answers because they relate to philosophy, but her statement does not actually relate to the course material. Instead, it relates to the assignment, so they are also incorrect.<br \/>\n<\/details>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\">What&#8217;s on the Test?<\/h2>\n<p>The Listening section evaluates how well you can understand spoken English, including recognizing a speaker\u2019s tone and attitude. You\u2019ll answer 47 questions in 29 minutes, spread across several different listening task types.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 25px\">\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0\"><span id=\"Listen_and_Choose_a_Response\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Listen and Choose a Response<\/h4>\n<p>This task focuses on your ability to understand a brief spoken question or statement and select an appropriate reply. You\u2019ll hear a short audio clip of a speaker making a statement or asking a question, then choose the best response from four options.<\/p>\n<p><!--- [insert_blob blob=1] ---><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0\"><span id=\"Listen_to_a_Conversation\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Listen to a Conversation<\/h4>\n<p>In these questions, you\u2019ll listen to a conversation set in a modern academic environment. You\u2019ll be asked to understand key ideas, draw conclusions, and make reasonable predictions based on what you hear. After the conversation between two speakers, you\u2019ll select the correct answer from four choices.<\/p>\n<p><!--- [insert_blob blob=2] need to make this code ---><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0\"><span id=\"Listen_to_an_Announcement\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Listen to an Announcement<\/h4>\n<p>This task tests your understanding of short, academic-related announcements. You\u2019ll hear a recorded message that is approximately 40\u201385 words long and then choose the most accurate response from four options.<\/p>\n<p><!--- [insert_blob blob=3] need to make this code ---><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0\"><span id=\"Listen_to_an_Academic_Talk\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Listen to an Academic Talk<\/h4>\n<p>For this task, you\u2019ll listen to a short lecture delivered by an instructor. The talk is usually 100\u2013250 words in length and may cover subjects such as science, history, art, music, or economics. After listening, you\u2019ll answer a question by selecting the best option from four choices.<\/p>\n<p><!--- [insert_blob blob=4] need to make this code --->\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"How_to_Pass_the_TOEFL_Exam\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>How to Pass the TOEFL<sup>&reg;<\/sup> Exam<\/h2>\n<p>Think you aren\u2019t a good test-taker? Maybe on a study-time crunch? Or just don\u2019t know how to begin studying? Mometrix has designed a new Study Secrets course to help every student, no matter what study scenario you are in. Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll find in the Study Secrets Course:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Techniques to Conquer Procrastination<\/li>\n<li>Steps to building a Study Plan custom to your learning style<\/li>\n<li>7 Effective Note-Taking Methods<\/li>\n<li>Test-Taking Tips<\/li>\n<li>Memory Techniques and Mnemonics<\/li>\n<li>And much more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Everyone learns differently, so we\u2019ve tailored our Study Secrets Course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for their upcoming exam or semester. Click below to check it out!<\/p>\n<div class=\"buttonlinks\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/university\/studysecrets\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Course Button', 'Course Click', Study Course Click']);\">Study Secrets Online Course<\/a><\/div>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"buttonlinks\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/toefl\/\">TOEFL Test<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/toefl\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Guide Button', 'Guide Click', 'TOEFL Guide Click']);\">TOEFL Study Guide<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/toefl\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Flashcard Button', 'Flashcard Button Click', 'TOEFL Flashcard Click']);\">TOEFL Flashcards<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"editor\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Aaron Lanni profile pic\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image_2024-12-11_124906662.png\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">Edited by <span itemprop=\"name\">Aaron Lanni<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix\u2019s quality and accessibility standards.<\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"alignright author-desc author-link\"><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/editorial-guidelines\/\">Learn more about our editorial guidelines<\/a> \u2192<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/toefl\/\">TOEFL Test &#8211; Home<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">TOEFL and TOEFL iBT are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service, which is not affiliated with Mometrix Test Preparation and does not endorse this page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the audio sample below and then answer the questions that follow. 1. What was Claudia upset about? The status of a group project for her philosophy class A difficult project designing a bridge for her engineering class She was having trouble understanding Aristotle\u2019s philosophies and influences Receiving a poor grade on her midterm &#8230; <a title=\"TOEFL&reg; Listening Practice Test\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/toefl\/toefl-listening\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about TOEFL&reg; Listening Practice Test\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":272623,"parent":30001,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-29995","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_type-exam-overview","7":"page_domain-toefl"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29995"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":285982,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29995\/revisions\/285982"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30001"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}