Part VI. Cracking types of listening questions

Skill I Basic Comprehension

1. Type I: Gist Question

Ø         What is gist question: requires the listener to understand critical vocabulary phrases or facts from several points in a text and to interpret to identify the key points of the text. Questions that test understanding the gist may require you to generalize or synthesize information in what you hear.

Ø         How to recognize this question:

What are the students mainly discussing? ETS

What is the main topic of the talk? ETS

What is the lecture mainly about?

What is the talk mainly about?

What is the main purpose of the lecture?

What is the professor mainly discussing?

Ø         Revelation of gist:

l         Topic sentence: today we are going to be talking about…/ I’d like to begin my lecture by introducing…/ let’s focus on…/ let’s now take a look at…

l         Question and answer: how are companies typically structured? Do you remember what they are? How can you understand it? Why does human being consider it important?

l         Conclude from the material

Ø         Points of correct answer:

history, view, development, background information, growth, origin, features, characteristics, invention, creation, innovation, theory, view, talk about, evolution, era, trend, comparison, classification, etc.

Ø         Points of wrong answer:

l         Too general

l         Too specific

l         Inaccurate

l         Irrelevant

Ø         Example 1: The Golden Age of American Agriculture

What are the main reasons that made the early 20th century the golden age of

American agriculture? (Click on 2 answers)

A The improvement of farming methods due to advanced technology.

B The governmental involvement with pesticide control.

C The introduction of newly-developed seeds.

D The increase of the female labor in farming.

P: We call the first two decades of the 20th century the golden age of American agriculture. What were the factors that made the period the golden age of American agriculture? Who can offer some reasons?

S: New strains of crops, improved farming methods, and what about greater use of pesticides and fertilizers?

P: Absolutely. Technical advances continued to improve productivity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture set up demonstration farms to show how new techniques could improve crop yields. In 1914, Congress created the Agricultural Extension Service, to advise farmers and their families about everything from crop fertilizers to home sewing projects. The Department of Agriculture undertook new research , developing hogs that were fattened faster on less grain as well as fertilizers that increased grain production, New hybrid seeds that developed into healthier plants, treatments that prevented or cured plant and animal diseases, and various methods for controlling pests were all introduced around this time. Anything else?

S: Wasn’t there also some kind of population boom around then?

P: Good! Farm prices were high as demand for goods increased, and land values rose. However, the good years of the early 20th century ended following World War I. What was happening then?

S: Maybe a lot of people, women especially, were moving from the farm to the cities.