Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TOEIC
STRATEGIES & PRACTICE
CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT
DR. HKMET AHNER
TOEIC
LC
COPYRIGHT
PART III
DR.STRATEGIES
HKMET AHNER
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DR. HKMET AHNER
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DR. HKMET AHNER
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This section of the TOEIC includes four-part dialogs between two people.
First read the question along with the answer choices before the dialogs begin.
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You should try to find key words and the main idea so you can choose the correct statement quickly.
Use your time wisely and preview the next question.
Don't be misled by mere repetition of a word or phrase from the text. All answer choices have been
mentioned in the text, so listen carefully to how they are used in context.
Remember the following frequently asked questions: the conversation topic, the relationship between
people mentioned, the place in which the conversation takes place, or the activity people are engaged in.
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WHO QUESTIONS
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Who questions generally ask for information or details about a person, an organization, or a job title. The
answer is likely to contain a noun phrase.
SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: Dinner's ready. Now we just have to wait for Sue and her new boyfriend.
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Correct Answers:
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- The woman
- The man
- Both the man and the woman
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WHEN QUESTIONS
When questions focus on details about time. Therefore, you should listen for words and expressions
related to time such as at three o'clock, at two fifteen, on Friday, on Thursday night, in the morning, in a few
hours, two days ago, etc. These questions can refer to a present, past, or future event. Note, also, that the
answer does not always include a preposition.
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SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: The lecture starts at 8:45. We should have left already! We're going to be late yet
again. Why do you always wait until the last minute?
Man: I know, but the best seats will be taken before we get there. I want to get a good seat
so that I can hear the speakers well.
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Correct Answers:
SAMPLE CONVERSATION 2
Woman: Why does the photocopier always jam when I'm in a hurry? I need to make 100
copies of this before the meeting. This happens every time I need something quickly.
Man: Well, it's only 9:00 a.m. now. It'll only take about 20 minutes to make 100 copies.
When do you need them?
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Woman: Well, that's the problem. The meeting is supposed to start in 10 minutes.
Incorrect Answers:
- 9 hours
- In 20 minutes
- At 9:00 a.m.
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WHERE QUESTIONS
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Where questions mostly deal with a location, the position of something, or a place. Note, however, that the
answer does not always include a preposition.
SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: Why did you miss the meeting on Monday morning? I thought you were supposed
to give a report.
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Correct Answers:
- To Charlie's garage
- To see a mechanic
Incorrect Answers:
- To the hospital
- To a meeting
- To an accident
Man: I can't find the handouts for the presentation that I'm supposed to make today. I
made the copies just before I left to go home last night.
Woman: Well, you had a large pile of papers with you last night when I walked to the
parking garage with you. Don't you remember? I had to open the door for you.
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Man: Oh, yes. You're right. I put them in my car for safe keeping. I'll go get them now.
- To make a presentation
- To the copier room
- Home
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WHAT QUESTIONS
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What questions very often ask for detailed information about the content of a conversation. This
information could be related to an object, idea, or action, or the information could be a description.
SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: It's closing time. Why are you still working? Almost everyone else has left already.
Man: Why don't I help you with that? It'll be much quicker, and I have nothing planned for
tonight.
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Correct Answers:
Man: I cant seem to connect to the Internet today. Is anyone else having any trouble?
It's really annoying because I need to send an urgent email to confirm an order.
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Woman: They are doing some maintenance work, and the server is down. If it's really
that urgent, why don't you just confirm it by fax?
Man: Yeah, I guess you're right. It would be better than nothing.
- Send a fax
- Fax a confirmation of the order
Incorrect Answers:
HOW QUESTIONS
How questions often ask about the process, method or manner in which something is done, the quantity,
or the quality of something. You should therefore pay careful attention to adjectives and adverbs.
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SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: Have you noticed anything different? Don't you think the office seems much nicer
lately?
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Correct Answers:
Woman: We have ordered too many of these monitors. They just aren't selling as well as
we expected. I don't know how we are going to get rid of them.
Man: Why don't we put them on sale? Let's offer a 20% discount for two weeks and see
if that helps. Or we could offer a free gift with them.
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Woman: Let's try the discount. We don't have space to store any extra gifts at the
moment.
WHY QUESTIONS
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Why questions are concerned with a cause or reason. Questions of this type can often be in the negative.
You may find it helpful to listen for words such as because, since, and due to.
SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: What are you doing with those boxes? You've been sorting through them for
hours. Where did they come from?
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Correct Answers:
Woman: Do you have any idea what has happened? The power is down, and nothing in
the office is working. No one can get any work done.
Man: There was some kind of leak in the basement, and the generator short-circuited.
They have been working on it since early this morning, but it seems to be more serious
than they thought.
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Woman: Well, I'm leaving. I'm going to work at home. I need electricity to use my
computer, and some light would be nice.
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WHICH QUESTIONS
Which questions ask about alternative choices. It is not possible to answer these questions using yes or
no. You may find it helpful to listen for the conjunction or in the conversation to alert you to alternatives
which may be relevant for choosing the correct response.
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SAMPLE CONVERSATION 1
Man: I've been thinking of getting a new desk, and I've narrowed it down to these two in
this catalog. They are both about the same size and price, so it's hard to choose between
them.
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Correct Answers:
Woman: Who do you think is more reliable, Hirotaka, Asako, or Kenichi? I need someone
I can really rely on to help me with the next shipment.
Man: I've never had problems with any of them. But I know that Mr. Ito in accounts has
complained that Kenichi is not very good at tracking down payments from clients. He
also tends to be late submitting paperwork, but he always does it very thoroughly.
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Woman: I need someone who can get things done on time. I guess I know who not to
choose.
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STRATEGY 1
Skim the questions and answer choices and try to guess what the conversation is about
before the audio recording begins.
STRATEGY 2
In a question such as What time will the woman leave?, the key words are time, woman, and will leave.
When you listen to the conversation, you should listen for references to a woman leaving in the future. You
should also listen for any numbers you might have seen in the answer choices: four (four hours, four
o'clock); 30 (4:30, half past 4:00, 30 minutes from now, in 30 minutes); ten (in ten minutes, ten past 4:00,
4:10, etc.). By listening for the key words (time, woman, will leave) and some of the numbers (four, ten), you
will be able to focus your listening on important details.
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STRATEGY 3
You will need to do some paraphrasing and catch synonymous words in the conversation.
STRATEGY 4
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In this part of the test, you may often hear words in the conversation that are the same or have the same
meaning as words in the answer choices. This may cause you to choose an incorrect answer. Be careful not
to choose an answer simply because you heard something similar in the conversation.
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The answers for many of the questions in this part of the test are not stated directly. You will have to listen
carefully and use your knowledge of related vocabulary and context to choose many of the answers.
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STRATEGY 6
Being familiar with the language and organization common to negative responses can help you to choose
the correct answer.
It is important to understand the first two sentences as these contain the answer to the first question.
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STRATEGY 8
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Read the following conversations, and focus on the main points. Use the What to listen for sections
as a guide.
A. Office Talk
M: Hi Martha. Are there any messages for me?
W: Yes, Mrs. Wilson called. She would like to know when the figures for this quarter will be ready. She
wants to look them over before she has to give them to the Vice-President.
- Mrs. Wilson
- She would like the figures.
- He will call her.
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B. Office Problems
W: I'm so frustrated! Why can't I get Internet access on my computer? All I get is a message that says,
"Busy, please try later.
M: The computer system is down. The IT department is working on it, but they said they might not be able to
fix it today.
- Frustrated
- She cannot access the Internet.
- An important document
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C. Personnel Changes
W: Well, I have all the qualifications that you are looking for, and I'm also very flexible, so I can adapt to any
situation.
M: Those are all very good reasons. Thank you for your time. We will let you know by next week.
- A job interview
- Her flexibility
- He will notify her later.
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D. Daily Life
M: I would like my bill, please. And could I pay by debit card? My credit card suddenly stopped working this
morning.
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M: Yes, I did. In fact, I'm going to be back in town next month. Could I make a reservation now?
W: Certainly, just give the details before you leave.
What to listen for
- At a restaurant
- His credit card is not working.
- Book a table for his next visit
E. Travel
W: Hi. I was looking at the tour package to Malta on your website. How much are the taxes and fuel service
charges?
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M: Let me just see. It seems that taxes are $250, and fuel service charges are $125.
W: $375 extra seems like a lot of money. I'm going to have to take some time to think about it.
M: OK. Think about it for a couple of days, then give me a call.
What to listen for
Who is the woman likely talking to?
What information does the man have?
What will the woman do?
- A travel agent
- The cost of extra charges
- Take time to consider the trip
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A: No, just a battery! Ive been asked to take some pictures at the press conference today.
B: Oh, I see. By the way, did you find out who the speaker is for tonights press
conference?
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B: Yes, Id like four tickets for Tuesdays show. Do you still have the front seats available
by chance?
A: No, I am sorry, sir. We only have balcony seats left. Is that alright? And how many
tickets did you say you needed?
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(A) He is not sure if his parents still want the front seats.
(B) He is not sure if he and his wife want to sit on the front seats.
(C) He is not sure if his parents still want to sit on balcony seats.
(D) He is sure if his wife wants to sit in the back seats.
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B: No, I havent. Im still waiting for a better fare than the one way and the $350 with two
stops at Detroit and Seattle, which is such a bad deal.
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A: Pickem Up is going to pick us up around 5:00, after the guided tour around Daytona
Beach.
B: And then where are we going?
B: Well, that sounds like we have enough time. Are you sure you dont want to stop by the
market place? Youve got to at least buy a shirt that says Florida to show others where
you went for the break!
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(A) At 2 o'clock.
(B) At 5 o'clock.
(C) At 7 o'clock.
(D) At 8 o'clock.
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B: OK. We must take the advantage of having the showcase now. Do we not?
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A: Could you please hand me the report about the Hong Kong office plans?
B: Well, its not on the shelf above the desk anymore. Didnt I let you borrow it yesterday?
A: Oh, you did? Hmm. Let me try to recall. Oh yeah! Its in the filing cabinet in the top
drawer.
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A: Have we hired a new cleaning service? The company looks totally different!
B: Yes. You can really see a difference in the way the company looks. Its definitely a
change for the better.
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