Section 1 • Guide to Listening Comprehension 1

LESSON 2
DIALOGS WITH SOUND CONFUSION

Some of the items in Part A involve a confusion between words that have similar sounds. Here’s how
they work: one of the speakers uses a word or phrase that sounds like a word or phrase in one or
more of the answer choices. If you don’t hear the word clearly, you might incorrectly choose an
option with a sound-alike word or phrase.

Sample Item
You will hear:
Ml: I’ve never had this type of fruit before. I don’t even know what
to do with it.
F1: You just have to peel it and eat it.
M2: What does the woman mean?
You will read:
(A) She doesn’t feel like eating fruit.
(B) The man should take the pill before eating.
(C) The fruit shouldn’t be eaten until it’s been peeled.
(D) She isn’t familiar with this type of fruit either.

The word/eel in choice (A) sounds like the word peel in the dialog. In a different
way, the word pill in choice J) also sounds like the word peel. Notice that choice (C)
—the correct answer—and choice (D) do not contain sound-alike words.

Many sound-alike expressions in Part A are minimal pairs. Minimal pairs are two words rhat are
pronounced alike except for one vowel sound feel and Biff, lack and lake, point and paint) or one
consonant sound ifeel and/eel, vine and wine, mop and mod).
Another sound problem involves two words that sound like one word, such as mark iI and
market, sent her and center in tents and intense.
A third type of sound problem involves one word that sounds like part of a longer word, such as
nation and imagination, mind and remind, give and/orgire.
Hint: If an answer choice contains a word that sounds like a word in the spoken
sentence, that choice is probably wrong. For example, if you hear the word spell and
you read the word spill in an answer choice, you can eliminate that choice.
When you’re taking Part A during an actual exam, you can use the context of the dialogs to help
you solve problems with sound confusion. If you hear and understand all of the dialog, you won’t
have much trouble eliminating choices involving sound-alike words. However, if you only understand
part of a dialog or if you “mis-hear” one or two words, you may easily choose an incorrect answer.

Exercise 2.1
Focus: Discriminating between sound-alike words in dialogs and answer choices.
Directions: Listen to the dialogs. Decide which of the two choices, (A) or (B), best answers the
question, and mark the appropriate blank. The first one is done as an example.
))) Now start the audio.
 1. (A) Get in a different lane. 8. (A) Its taste has improved.
J) Stand in another line. (B) It tastes slightly bitter.
2. (A) Go down the slide. 9. (A) How much the ticket cost.
(B) Play on the sled. (B) What Ellen might win.
3. (A) Put them in a rile. 10. (A) It’s been chipped.
(B) Throw them in a pile. tB) There’s a ship inside it.
4. (A) He can’t shut his suitcase. 11. (A) He tripped in the aisle.
(B) His suitcase doesn’t nn in the He slipped in some oil.
closet.
12. (A) For its fast horses.
5. (A) She made bread from whole For its natural resources.
wheat.
13. (A) Thinking about the decision.
She baked some white bread.
(B) Arguing about the issue.
0. (A) It’s being audio. 14. (A) The color is too bright.

(B) Brenda is typing it.

It doesn’t rit around the neck.
7. (A) Emily bought new clothes. 15. (A} Wrote his name on the paper.
(>) Emily recently moved.
Told his students to write a
paper.

Exercise 2.2
Focus: Identifying sound-alike expressions in answer choices and choosing correct answers.
Directions: Listen to the dialogs. Each dialog contains a word or phrase that sounds like a word or
phrase in two of the answer choices. Underline these words. Underline only those words with
similar sounds, not words that are exactly the same. Then mark the answer choice that has the same
meaning as the spoken sentence. (The correct answer will not contain any sound-alike words.) The
first one is done as an example.
Now start the audio. If necessary, repeat this exercise to make sure that you have underlined all
the sound-alike words.

1. (A) She went to the center with her friend.

(J3) She wrote her friend a letter.
(C) She told her friend to call her later.
2. (A) He has an appointment with the president.
(B) He was just appointed vice-president.
(C) He's unhappy because he lost the election.
3. (A) It is a study of the life of plants.
H) It concerns the breeding of cattle.
(C) It deals with life on Earth.
4. (A) They can’t leave until the rain is over.
(J3) Their drain has stopped up.
(C) He shouldn’t board the train until it completely stops.
5. (A) He offered his help to Darlene.
(B) He made an offer to Darlene’s sister.
(C) When Darlene was gone, he missed her.
 6. (A)
Get a copy made.
(B)
Buy some cough drops.
Eat in the coffee shop.
7. (A1
He didn't hear what the woman said.
(D ›
He can lend the man a pen.
He had a pain behind his ear.
The food in this town isn’t very good.
_ She needed boots when she left home.
The flooding in her neighborhood was severe.
She’s been weakened by the sickness.
She was awakened by the coughing.
She missed class because of her cough.
10. (A Evaluate the texts. t?
CU) orrect the exams. t?ollect
the tests.
11. (A) His apartment is more comfortable now.
(B) _ He recently bought a new van.
(C) He’s been feeling fine lately.
Her name is not on the list.
12. (A) The lease is difficult to read.
, (B) The lawyer told her to call the police.
(C)
 LESSON 3
DIALOGS WITH HOMONYMS AND WORDS WITH MULTIPLE MEANINGS

rwo words are homonyms if they have the same pronunciation but are spelled differently and have
different meanings. The words our and over; Care and Year are homonyms. In some items in Part
A, one or more incorrect answer choices refer to a homonym of a word that is used on the audio, as in
the example below.

Sample Item
You will hear:
MI: Eugene missed a lot of classes last week.
FI: That’s because he was sick. I think he had the flu.
M2: What is learned about Eugene?
You will read:
(A) He has been feeling weak for a long time.
Because of sickness, Eugene was absent.
(C) Eugene’s eyesight isn’t very strong, so he needs glasses.
(D) Eugene flew to another city this week.

The dialog contains the word week, meaning a seven-day period. Choices (A) and
(C) refer to a homonym of that word, weak, which means “not strong.” The dialog
also contains the worded, an illness similar to a bad cold. Choice (D) refers to a
homonym of that word, flew (took a trip by plane).

The dialogs may also contain words with multiple meanings. In these items, one or two of the
answer choices refer to another definition of a word as it is used in the dialog.

Sample Item
You will hear:
FI: Are you sure this is how Lois spells her last name?
MI: It doesn’t look right, does it? In fact, I’m not even sure it starts
with that letter.
M2: What does the man mean?
You will read: (A) The letter to Lois was incorrectly addressed.
(B) Lois’s last name may be incorrectly spelled.
(C) Lois's name appeared on the right side of the page.
(D) Lois hasn’t begun writing the letter yet.

The dialog contains the words right, meaning “correct,” and the word letter
meaning a character in the alphabet. Choices (A) and (D) also contain the word letter
but in those choices the word has another definition—a message sent through the
mail. Choice (C) also contains the word right, but in that choice, it refers to a direction
—the opposite of left.

You won’t be confused by these items if you understand the entire dialog. Again, the context of the
dialog can help you choose the correct answer. But if you focus only on single words, like week and
Ju or letter and right in the two samples, you can easily make mistakes.
 Exercise 3.1
Focus: Using the context of dialogs to identify homonyms.
Directions: Listen to the dialogs. Decide which of the pair of homonyms appears in the dialogs and
mark the appropriate answer, (A) or J). The first one is done as an example.
J))) Now start the audio.
1. (A) presence (A) board
N J) presents J) bored
2. (A) overdue 8. (A) brakes
(B) overdo J) breaks
3. (A) pain (A) sail
J) pane (B) sale
4. (A) where 10. (A) site
' J) wear J) sight
(A) fined 11. (A) rose
(B) find ) rows
6. (A) right , 12. (A) aloud
(B) write ) allowed

Exercise 3.2
Focus: Using the context of dialogs to identify the definitions of words with multiple meanings.
Directions: Listen to the dialogs. One word from the dialog is given, along with two possible
definitions of the word. Choose the definition of the word as it is used in the dialog and mark the
appropriate answer, (A) or ). The first one is done as an example.
J))J Now start the audio.

1. cold . COilt
I (A) minor illness (A) layer
(B) chilly weather ) warm clothing
2 Mnd 7. field
(A) type (A) outside the classroom
“ J) considerate ) area of study
3. light 8. playing
(A) not heavy (A) taking part in a game
J) not dark (B) appearing
9. party
(A) part of an airplane (A) celebration
J) part of a building J) group
5. tables 10. period
(A) charts (A) punctuation mark
J) furniture ) class time
Exercise 3.3
Focus: Using the context of dialogs to answer questions involving both homonyms and words with
multiple definitions.
Directions: Listen to the statements. Decide which of the two choices best answers the question
and mark the appropriate answer, (A) or J). The first one is done as an example.

Now start the audio.

1. (A) Look for mistakes.
(B) Write a check.
2. (A) Events in the past.
J) The man’s performance in class.
3. (A) He’d never heard buffaloes before.
(B) This was the first herd he’d ever seen.
4 (A) Follow the directions on the sign.
(B) Sign up for another class.
(A) Buy a second suit.
(B) Consider it for a little while.
6. (A) He can’t carry the luggage by himself.
J) The handle on the suitcase is broken.
7. _ (A) He was surprised by the rain.
_p (B) He just got out of the shower.
8. (A) The class has a better opinion of him.
(B) He was standing in front of the class.
9. (A) She works in an office by herself.
(B) She’s in charge of making loans.
_ (A) She’s sorry the seminar is over.
J) She was onen absent from the seminar.
(A) They can park their car at the zoo.
(B) The park is located near the zoo.
12. (A) If she has some money for a phone call.
(B) If her phone number has changed recently.