2016-10-18 TOEFL: listening gist questions

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-do-animals-see-in-the-dark-anna-stockl
This is a good example of organization into categories.
- How many ways does the video answer the question, “How do animals see in the dark?”?
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red herring = an example given in an argument or discussion that has no relevance and is mostly there as a distraction
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DELTA p. 187 - overview of the listening section
- second part of the test
- it will take about 60 or 90 minutes, depending on whether you have a short or long listening
	- You have 10 minutes to answer the questions for each set of three questions, but the timer doesn’t count while you’re listening to the text or while the question is read aloud to you.
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Listening - Topic/Main Idea questions
p. 197 - Listen to the conversation and take notes. Then answer the question.

The topic is just what a lecture or conversation is about, the main idea is what the professor tells us about this topic.

Incorrect answers might be too general, too specific, inaccurate, or irrelevant.
- Irrelevant answers are often “trick” answers, that include words you hear (or similar-sounding words).
	(The conversation was about a political science course, not a physical science course.)
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p. 199 exercise 2.1.A - Listen and take notes, then answer the question(s) after each audio text.
1 C
2 C
3 B
4 A
5 D
“Phloem flows (downward).”
p. 200 exercise 2.1.B - same
1 B
2 A
3 C
4 D
5 A
P. 201 exercise 2.1.C - mark the correct answers and also note why the other answers are incorrect
(Are they too general, too specific, inaccurate, or irrelevant?)
1 A - the others are irrelevant (but may be true)
2 D
3 B - A is irrelevant and possibly inaccurate (it’s about diversity in the workforce, not in the general population)
4 C - A is too general, B and C are too specific
5 A - B and D are too specific, C is irrelevant
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BREAK
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Handout (Oxford 166-169)
Sometimes questions about an entire reading or listening are called “gist questions”. The gist of something can be contrasted with specific details.
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p. 167 - What do you already know about global warming?
Listen to the lecture and take notes.

3L5 - Compare your notes with a partner and provide information about each of these things (continues to p. 168)
1 The surface temperature has increased by 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degrees Celsius).
2 melting glaciers, 11 hottest years are in the last 13 years
3 increased greenhouse gas emissions by human activities since the industrial revolution
4 CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), O3 (ozone), N2O (nitrous oxide)
5 the temperature increases
6 CO2 is produced by burning things that contain carbon
7 Emissions have increased 130 times and are likely to increase another 60%.
8 another 10-degree increase
9 more severe heat waves, vanishing glaciers and sea ice, more powerful storms such as hurricanes
10 heat waves kill people, melting glaciers can raise sea levels which could destroy coastal cities and decrease water supplies for many people, hurricanes rip people’s lives apart
11 causes and effects of global warming
(This is also the answer to question 3L6 - b)
- not a: too specific, just a single detail
- not c: “implications” just means effects, and the lecture is also about causes
- not d: minor point related to the causes
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solid -> liquid = melt
liquid -> gas = evaporate / boil
solid -> gas = sublimate
gas -> liquid = condense
gas -> solid = deposit
liquid -> solid = freeze
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p. 168 - Listen and take notes
1 He wants to discuss his presentation. He wants to know how to make his presentation more interesting.
2 get students to brainstorm in groups, give them information that may be surprising, bring in physical objects (such as low-energy light bulbs)
3 a) replace incandescents with CFLs
  b) reduce household waste (most effective - 275bn pounds if everyone did it)
  c) lower the thermostat by 2 degrees (in the winter)
  d) reduce excess packaging (because the production of plastic produces a lot of greenhouse gases)
 3L8 - d: he doesn’t feel his topic is interesting enough
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Homework: write one or two words to explain the meanings of the word roots

re __________________________________ (recycle, rebound, reuse)
reg _________________________________ (regulation, regent, regime)
retro ________________________________ (retrograde, retroactive, retrospect)
rupt _________________________________ (disrupt, rupture)
scend ________________________________ (descend, crescendo)
scope ________________________________ (microscope, telescope)
scrib/script ___________________________ (transcript, scripture, inscribe)
sect _________________________________ (section, bisect, sector)
semi _________________________________ (semicircle, semiannual)
sol ___________________________________ (solitude, solar, desolate)
soph _________________________________ (philosophy, sophisticated)
struct ________________________________ (construct, structure)
sub __________________________________ (subterranean, submerge, substandard)
tele __________________________________ (telephone, telescope, telepathy)
term _________________________________ (determine, terminate)
terra/terri _____________________________ (territory, terrain)
therm ________________________________ (thermometer, thermal)
trans _________________________________ (transport, transaction, transverse)
uni ___________________________________ (universe, unique, unilateral)
vac ___________________________________ (vacuum, vacate, evacuate)
veri ___________________________________ (verify, veracity)
viv/vit__________________________________ (vital, vivacious)
vol ____________________________________ (benevolent, volunteer, volition)
xeno ___________________________________ (xenophobia, xenophile)
zoo ____________________________________ (zoology, zooplankton)