The Listening Section is broken down into 3 parts that last 30 to 40 minutes and have a total of 50 questions:
| Listening Section | Number of Passage | Number of Questions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A | Short Conversations | 30 | 30 |
| Part B | Longer Conversations | 2 | 7-8 |
| Part C | Lectures and Talks | 3 | 12-13 |
This second Listening part focuses on two Long Conversations. These Conversations consist of a dialog between a male and female speaker that lasts from 50 to 80 seconds (about 130-220 words) and has between 4 and 6 exchanges between the speakers. The narrator introduces each of the three or four questions by its number following each conversation. You will not see any of the dialog or the questions printed and each question is played only one time. All parts of the Listening section are multiple choice, so all you will see will be the four answer choices. Here is an example of what you hear and what you see for this course:
Example
You will hear:
| narrator | Questions 31 through 33. Listen to a conversation between two people. The man is giving the woman information. |
| woman | Bill, could you tell me where the University Shuttle Bus stop is? |
| man | Well, it depends on the bus. Both the Family Housing Bus and the Recreation Center Bus stop in front of the bookstore, but the bus to the Music Complex stops around the corner. |
| woman | Oh. How can I tell which one is the Recreation Center Bus? |
| man | It has the letters "RC" above the windshield. All the buses have the initials of their final destination posted there. |
| woman | Do you know the schedules? |
| man | For the "RC" bus, about every twenty minutes during the day, but after five o'clock, it runs every hour until midnight. |
| woman | Is it usually on time? |
| man | Yes, except during rush hour. |
| woman | So I should go now if I'm going to catch it? |
| man | Not quite so soon. Look, I have to catch the Family Housing Bus. The Recreation Center Bus should come before mine. We can go together and I'll let you know which one to get on. |
| narrator | Number 31. What is the relationship between the man and the woman? |
You will read:
-
- They are strangers.
- They are acquaintances.
- They are members of a family.
- They are in the same university class.
You will hear:
| narrator | Number 32. What can be inferred from the conversation? |
You will read:
-
- The woman is going toward the Recreation Center.
- The man is going to the Music Complex.
- The woman enjoys sports.
- The man is married.
You will hear:
| narrator | Number 33. What can be said about the woman? |
You will read:
-
- She usually walks to the Recreation Center.
- She has an expensive car.
- She doesn't drive during rush hour.
- She's not used to taking the University Shuttle Bus.
In Number 31, the woman uses the man's name. This indicates that they probably know each other, so the second choice, "They are acquaintances." is correct. In Number 32, it cannot be inferred that the woman is going directly to the Recreation Center, but she is going close to it. Otherwise she wouldn't be taking that particular bus, so the first choice, "The woman is going toward the Recreation Center.", is correct. In Number 33, it can be inferred from the woman's lack of knowledge of bus schedules, bus names, and bus stop locations that she is unaccustomed to taking university buses.