Listening

What you'll hear

• One conversation between two speakers (e.g. a customer and a representative).
• Someone has a problem; they discuss causes and possible fixes.
• About 8 questions on the problem, the options, and what they agree to do.

Listen for

• The exact problem (what went wrong, for whom).
• Each option raised — and which ones are rejected and why.
• The final decision or next step.
• Numbers and details (order numbers, dates, amounts).

What you'll hear

• A relaxed conversation between two people who know each other.
• Plans, preferences, small disagreements, or advice.
• About 5 questions, often about feelings and reasons.

Listen for

• How each speaker feels (tone signals more than the words).
• What they decide to do and why.
• Polite disagreement — 'I'm not sure', 'maybe', 'I'd rather'.

What you'll hear

• One speaker explaining information to another (an expert, guide, or staff member).
• Facts, steps, conditions, and occasional opinions.
• About 6 questions on specific details and the main point.

Listen for

• Sequence words (first, then, after that) that signal steps.
• Conditions and exceptions ('only', 'unless', 'except').
• Reasons — questions often ask 'why', not just 'what'.

What you'll hear

• A single-speaker news report on an event or development.
• Facts, figures, quotes, and what happens next.
• About 5 questions on the main event and details.

Listen for

• The 5 Ws: who, what, where, when, why.
• Numbers, dates, and statistics — note them immediately.
• Cause and effect ('as a result', 'due to', 'led to').

What you'll hear

• A discussion among two or more speakers (sometimes shown with a short video/image).
• Differing opinions, proposals, and reactions.
• About 8 questions, several asking who said or thinks what.

Listen for

• Each speaker's position — jot a one-word label per person.
• Who agrees, who pushes back, and what they settle on.
• Shifts in opinion ('actually', 'on second thought').
• Use any visual cue to anchor who is speaking.

What you'll hear

• One speaker giving extended opinions on a single topic.
• A main viewpoint plus supporting reasons, examples, and concessions.
• About 6 questions, heavy on paraphrased answer options.

Listen for

• The central opinion (often stated early, then restated).
• Reasons vs examples — questions test both.
• Concessions the speaker makes ('admittedly', 'of course') before returning to their view.
• Expect correct answers to reword what the speaker said — see Paraphrase & Distractor Training.

The six parts

Note-taking that works

• The audio plays once — jot keywords, names, numbers, and reasons, not full sentences.
• Note who says what in conversations with two speakers.
• Listen for the answer to 'why' and 'what changed', not just facts.
• Don't keep writing while the next question is read — look up and listen.

Why word-matching fails

The correct option almost never uses the speaker's exact words — it paraphrases them. The wrong options often DO reuse the speaker's words, which is the trap.

How to train it

• After each clip, say the main idea in your own words before checking options.
• When two options seem close, pick the one that captures meaning, not vocabulary.
• Distractors often quote a detail the speaker mentioned but rejected — listen for 'but', 'actually', 'instead'.
• Negatives flip meaning: catch 'not', 'rarely', 'no longer'.