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InsidetheTOEFLListening
OrganizationQuestions
Peopleinthisvideo
Michael
Narrator
Professor
Intro
[musicplaying]
Michael:Hi,I'mMichaelfromETS.TodayonInsidetheTOEFLTest,we're
goinginsidetheTOEFLiBTListeningsection.Specifically,theOrganization
questions.
Onscreen:
InsidetheTOEFLTestListening
OrganizationQuestions
Michael:Organizationquestionsaskyoutoshowunderstandingofhowalecture
isstructured.
Onscreen:QuestionStructure
OrganizationQuestions
Howalectureisstructured
Michael:Youcanrecognizeorganizationquestionsbecausetheyofteninclude
phrasessuchas"Whydoestheprofessormention?"or"Whydoestheprofessor
discuss?"
Thesekindsofphrasesshowthatorganizationquestionsareoftenaskedaboutthe
examplesinalecture,soithelpstolistenforexamples,andthinkaboutwhythe
professorisusingthem.
Onscreen:RecognizingtheQuestionType
OrganizationQuestions
Whydoestheprofessormention?
Whydoestheprofessordiscuss?
Oftenabouttheexamplesinalecture
Michael:Nowlet'slookatasamplequestion.Thequestionisfromaliterature
lectureaboutdetectivenovels,includingonetitledTheMoonstone.Thepassage
focusesonanimportantcharacterfromTheMoonstonenamedSergeantCuffwho
istryingtosolveacrime.
Onscreen:SampleQuestions
[imageofprofessorleadingalecture]
[Moonstoneonchalkboard]
http://www.ets.org/s/toefl/flash/34234_toefl2016l5_transcript.html 1/3
2017/1/17 InsidetheTOEFLListeningOrganizationQuestions
[SargentCuffonchalkboard]
[imageofprofessorleadingalecture]
Michael:Hereisanexcerptfromthelecture:
PROFESSOR:
So,nowCuffarrives.Uh,Cuffisthemanwho'scomingtosolvethemystery,
andandagainhehasalotofthecharacteristicsthatfuturedetectivesthroughout
thehistoryofthisgenrewillhave.Um,He'seccentric.Um,Hehasahobbythat
he'sobsessiveaboutinthis...uh,inthiscase,it'stheloveofroses.He'sa
fanaticaboutthebreedingofrosesandherethinkofNeroWolfeandhisorchids,
uhSherlockHolmesandhisviolin,uhalotofthoselaterclassicdetectiveheroes
havethiskindofoutsideinterestthattheyuh...theygotoasakindofantidote
totheevilandmiserytheyencounterintheirdailylives.
Now,um,thesedetectiveheroes..um..theyhavethischaracteristicofbeing
smart,incrediblysmart,butofnotappearingtobesmart.Anduhmost
importantly,fromuhakindofexistentialpointofview,thesedetectivesseethings
thatotherpeopledonotsee.Andthat'swhythedetectiveissuchanimportant
figure,Ithink,inourmodernimagination.Um,InthecaseofTheMoonstone
umIdon'twanttosaytoomuchhereandspoilitforyoubutthecluethat'skey
to...thesolvingofthecrimeisasmearedbitofpaintinadoorway.Um,of
course,theregularpolicehavemissedthispaintsmearormadesomesortof
unwarrantedassumptionaboutit.Cuffseesthissmearofpaintumthispaint,the
placewherethepaintissmearedandrealizesthatfromthisonesmearofpaint
youcanactuallydeducethewholesituation...um,thewholeworld.AndAnd
that'swhattheheroinadetectivenovellikethis...bringstoitthattheother
charactersdon'tit'sumit'sthisabilitytoseemeaningwhereothersseeno
meaningandtobringorder...towhereuhitseemsthereisnoorder.
MICHAEL:
Here'sanexampleofanorganizationquestion:
WhydoestheprofessormentionasmearedbitofpaintinadoorwayinThe
Moonstone?
Onscreen:Whydoestheprofessormentionasmearedbitofpaintinadoorway
inTheMoonstone?
TodescribeamistakethatSergeantCuffhasmade
Toshowhowrealisticallytheauthordescribesthecrimescene
Toexemplifyapatternrepeatedinmanyotherdetectivestories
Toillustratethesuperiortechniquesusedbythepolice
Michael:Let'slookattheanswerchoicesoneatatime.
ChoiceAcanberuledoutbecausetheprofessordirectlystatesthatnoticingthe
smearedpaintisthekeytosolvingthecrime,notamistake.
Onscreen:[redxnexttoansweroptionA]
Michael:ForoptionBtobecorrect,therewouldhavebeenapatternofdiscussing
detailsfromthecrimescene.Butthesmearedpaintistheonlyvisualdetailfrom
thecrimescenethatismentioned.SooptionBisnotcorrect.
Onscreen:[redxnexttoansweroptionB]
http://www.ets.org/s/toefl/flash/34234_toefl2016l5_transcript.html 2/3
2017/1/17 InsidetheTOEFLListeningOrganizationQuestions
Michael:OptionDcanbeeliminatedbecausetheprofessorstatesthatthepolice
officersdidn'tnoticethesmearedpaint.
Onscreen:[redxnexttoansweroptionD]
Michael:OptionCisthebestanswerbecausetheprofessortalksabouthero
detectivesinmysterynovelsandthecharacteristicstheyhaveincommon.The
professorindicatesthatthereisapatternwhenhesaysthis:
PROFESSOR:
Thesedetectivesseethingsthatotherpeopledonotsee.
Onscreen:[GreencheckmarknexttoansweroptionD]
MICHAEL:
Here'salisteningtipthatcanhelpyouunderstandhowalectureisorganized:
Listenforthesignalwordsthatindicatetheintroduction,majorideas,examples
andtheconclusionorsummary.Thesemightbesequencewordslike"first,"
"next"and"then."Ortheymightindicatetimeorachronology,like"before,"
"during"or"since."Ortheycouldshowcauseandeffect,like"accordingly"or"as
aresult."
Thesesignalwordsaregoodcuesforwhentotakenotes.
Onscreen:SkillBuildingTips
ListenforSignalWords
Introduction
Majorideas
Examples
Conclusion
First,next,then,second,finally
After,atlast,before,during,now,since
Obviously,ofcourse
Accordingly,asaresult,because,forexample,forinstance
Inconclusion,tosummarize
Michael:TherearelotsofwaystoimproveyourEnglishskills.Whateveryoudo,
keeppracticing.AndgoodluckonyourTOEFLtest.
Onscreen:FormoreinformationabouttheTOEFLtestandtoregister,visitthe
TOEFLwebsiteatwww.toeflgoanywhere.org
[END]
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