تمرین سخنرانی های بخش شنیداری تافل

On the TOEFL, you’ll get two different kinds of listening passages: lectures and conversations. In this lesson, we’ll just focus on the lectures.

Lecture passages reproduce the kind of spoken English you might hear in a classroom. Some will be a professor talking the whole time; others will have a professor and students having a discussion.

You’ll get four to six lecture passages on the test. Each lecture will last between three and five minutes and will be followed by six questions.

When you’re taking the test, you’ll first listen to the passage and then answer the questions. You won’t be able to read a transcript of the passage or go back to listen to it again. But you will be able to take notes while you’re listening, and you’ll have your notes to help you on the questions.

While you’re taking notes, don’t try to write down everything. Instead, try to hit just the important points and key ideas.

If you don’t have one, go grab a pen and paper right now so you can take notes like you would on the real test. And then get ready for the passage!

PROFESSOR: So today, we’re going to talk about the, the - origins of the First World War because it seems a little strange, doesn’t it, that the whole continent of Europe would get involved in a war that nobody really wanted and nobody actually meant to start? Kind of funny, right? Well, it really started in the Balkan Peninsula, which is, uh… the region of Southeastern Europe around Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, that area. Does anyone remember the term we had for the Balkans around 1914?

STUDENT 1: ‘The Balkan Powder Keg’?

PROFESSOR: Exactly. The political situation was so tense that the whole region was called ‘the Balkan Powder Keg.’

STUDENT 2: But what does powder have to do with anything? And a ‘keg,’ isn’t that about beer?

PROFESSOR: Well, the ‘powder’ here refers to gunpowder, and a ‘keg’ is the container that you would store the gunpowder in. Um, and if you think about gunpowder, what is it designed to do? Explode, right? It’s very dangerous, very, uh, unstable. So if you call the Balkans a ‘powder keg,’ it means the whole area, all those countries, are just ready to explode into war at any time, like a big pile of gunpowder.

STUDENT 2: Oh, okay. I get it now. Thank you.

PROFESSOR: Good. So, we have this powder keg - this very unstable situation in the Balkans, in the summer of 1914, and this is where the First World War really kicks off…

Okay, now you’ve heard the passage. Keep your notes handy while you answer the questions.

1) Listen to the following two lines again:

‘PROFESSOR: Exactly. The political situation was so tense that the whole region was called ‘the Balkan Powder Keg.

‘STUDENT 2: But what does powder have to do with anything? And a ‘keg,’ isn’t that about beer?’

What is the student confused about?

a) The location of the Balkans in Europe

b) The uses of gunpowder

c) The political situation of the Balkans in 1914

d) The relevance of the name ‘Balkan Powder Keg’

The correct answer is d. The student doesn’t understand what the words ‘powder’ and ‘keg’ have to do with the political situation, so it’s not clear why ‘powder keg’ is an appropriate name for the Balkans.

2) Why is the professor talking about the Balkans?

a) To explain how the First World War began.

b) To explain new developments in gunpowder technology.

c) Because the Balkan countries are the most important countries in Europe.

d) Because they were the earliest European countries to use gunpowder.

The correct answer is a. The professor says at the beginning of the class that he’s going to talk about the origins of the First World War and then repeats toward the end of the excerpt that ‘this is where the First World War really kicks off.’ He’s bringing up the political instability in the Balkans to explain how this caused the war.

3) According to the professor, the ‘powder’ in the name ‘Balkan Powder Keg’ is a reference to…

a) Makeup

b) Gunpowder

c) Baking powder

d) Powdered milk

The correct answer is b. The professor explains that the ‘powder’ here is gunpowder. That is why the name ‘Balkan Powder Keg’ makes sense: just like gunpowder, the Balkans were very dangerous and unstable.

In this lesson, you got some practice with a lecture passage from the TOEFL. The one in this lesson was a little abbreviated, but on the actual test, lecture passages will last about three to five minutes, and each passage will have six questions. You’ll get four to six of these passages in total.

On the lecture passages, remember that listening carefully to the passage and taking effective notes can really help you make it work. Don’t write down every word; focus on the important information and key points. You won’t be able to go back and listen to the passage again while you work on the questions, but you will get your notes.

Now try out the quiz questions to see how well you’re really prepared!