TOEFL Listening Comprehension: Short Dialogue - Skill 3

Summary

This TOEFL exercise includes a series of short conversations and related questions to test listening comprehension. Each conversation presents a situation—like watering the grass, debating a sweater purchase, or discussing a biology lab—followed by a question about the conversation's meaning. The questions range from details about people’s actions to their thoughts on events like forest fires or a storm. This exercise helps listeners practice distinguishing between similar-sounding answers and grasping key details from casual, everyday exchanges.

Takeaways

• 😀 The listener must carefully listen to short conversations and answer questions based on the information presented.
• 😀 The speaker in the exercises asks the listener to be cautious about selecting answers that may sound similar.
• 😀 The first conversation involves a woman mentioning that she needs to water the grass before leaving.
• 😀 In another conversation, the woman is unsure whether she should buy a sweater due to a poor fit.
• 😀 The man informs the listener that Walter regularly commutes to Boston for his job, indicating that it is not nearby.
• 😀 In a conversation about Bob, the man notes that Bob was unable to master the lesson, implying he struggled with learning.
• 😀 A conversation discusses the sad consequences of forest fires, where many animals perish, highlighting environmental impacts.
• 😀 One of the exchanges mentions a store with shoes on sale, where the man eagerly agrees to take a look, implying enthusiasm for the discount.
• 😀 Tom did not join the group because he was attending a required biology lab, highlighting his academic commitments.
• 😀 The man waits by the front door for an important mail that is expected around noon, indicating anticipation and a sense of urgency.

Q & A

How long until you'll be ready to leave?

The woman needs to water the grass before she can leave.

What does the woman mean when she says, 'Do you think I should buy this sweater, but it doesn't really seem to fit right'?

The woman is uncertain about buying the sweater because it doesn't fit properly.

Is Walter's job near here?

No, Walter's job is not near, as he has been commuting to Boston regularly.

Did Bob memorize every detail in the chapter?

No, Bob was not able to master the lesson, so he didn't memorize all the details.

What does the woman mean when she says, 'It's so sad what happened to the animals'?

The woman is expressing sadness about the animals dying due to forest fires.

What does the man mean when he says, 'You bet the shoes are on sale for twenty dollars a pair'?

The man agrees enthusiastically and is confirming that the shoes are indeed on sale for $20 each.

Why didn't Tom come with us this afternoon?

Tom couldn't come because he was attending a required biology lab.

Why is the man waiting by the front door?

The man is waiting for the mail, which should arrive at noon, as he is expecting something important.

What does the man mean when he says, 'I heard on the news that a bad storm is heading in'?

The man is implying that he believes it will rain because a bad storm is approaching.

What does the man ask the woman to do for dinner?

The man asks the woman if she would mind chopping vegetables for the salad.