There are two types of listening samples in the listening portion of the TOEFL: short lectures and conversations. There are four to six short lectures and two to three conversations, each ranging from three to five minutes long. When you take the real test, you will first see a photo that should help orient you to the material, followed by an audio clip of either a conversation or a lecture. While the audio is playing, you should take notes. Try to identify main points if possible. After listening to the audio clip, you will be given five to six multiple choice questions. You will not be... Show more

There are two types of listening samples in the listening portion of the TOEFL: short lectures and conversations. There are four to six short lectures and two to three conversations, each ranging from three to five minutes long.

When you take the real test, you will first see a photo that should help orient you to the material, followed by an audio clip of either a conversation or a lecture. While the audio is playing, you should take notes.

Try to identify main points if possible. After listening to the audio clip, you will be given five to six multiple choice questions. You will not be given a transcript or be allowed to listen to the recording again.
 
 

Listening Passage 1: A conversation between a male student and a female student - Conversation Transcript

Narrator: Listen to the following conversation between two students and then answer the following questions.
Male student: Hi Claudia, how's your philosophy class?
Female student: Oh, hey Miguel, it's pretty good. I love the material we are learning but I'm frustrated with a big assignment that's due next week.
Male student: Oh no. Why's that?
Female student: Well, it's a group project and we have to write a 10-page paper and prepare a 20-minute presentation about different notable philosophers, but my group doesn't seem to be taking the assignment seriously.
Male student: That sounds stressful. Does it count for a large percentage of your course grade?
Female student: Yes, that's the thing. This is our midterm project so it is worth 40% of our total grade. It's due on Monday and two of the people have yet to start their sections and the other student's piece was terrible.
Male student: Oh…what was wrong with it?
Female student: It really didn't satisfy any of the assignment requirements. His job was to cover Aristotle. Our professor gave us specific criteria to address for each philosopher, like where and when they were born, their primary ideas and interests, and who they influenced and who influenced them. Brian, the guy in my group, just focused on Ancient Greece in general and barely mentioned Aristotle, let alone his philosophical contributions!
Male students: That's awful. You know, that's the reason why I find group projects to be stressful. You never know who is going to be in your group and how motivated they are. Sometimes you end up having to do the nearly the whole project yourself or settle for a poor grade. Last year in my engineering class we had to design a suspension bridge using renewable resources in small groups. I had to carry the weight of the whole group since no one held up their end. It was so much work to do by myself.
Female student: Yeah…not fair. I might have to do that for this project. Before this, I always loved group projects, but now, my opinion has shifted.
Male student: Well Claudia, I wish you luck with the project. I don't envy the situation you're in.
Female student: Thanks for commiserating with me, Miguel. Have a nice afternoon.

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