In the Common Test Listening section, the audio is played twice in the early part and only once in the latter part, so the difficulty increases. Learn to understand the differences between the formats and use "previewing" to stabilize your score.
Basic Rules
Basic features of the formats:
- Early sections: mainly short passages and dialogues; the audio is played twice
- Later sections: mainly long dialogues and explanatory passages; the audio is played only once
- The test also includes questions answered while looking at charts and graphs, as well as questions requiring you to organize the opinions of multiple speakers
Previewing techniques:
① Always read the answer choices with your eyes before the audio begins
② Predict "what will be asked" (such as time, place, opinion, or number) from the differences among the choices
③ Listen while focusing on the points you predicted (do not try to hear every word)
How to take notes:
- Briefly write down only numbers, dates, and negative words (not / but)
- When there are multiple speakers, separate their comments in your notes, such as "A:" and "B:"
Strategies for questions with multiple speakers:
- Listen carefully for turning points where opinions change (But / However / Actually) so that you do not confuse who said what
If the choices show times such as "(a) 3:00 (b) 3:30 (c) 4:00 (d) 4:30," you can predict before listening that the question asks about a time. While listening, focus only on expressions for time (number＋o'clock / thirty / quarter past).
Points to Note
① In sections where the audio is played once, missing something immediately leads to a lost point, so it is especially important to narrow down what to listen for through previewing.
② Taking too many notes prevents you from concentrating on listening itself. Limit your notes to numbers, negative words, and transition words.
③ In questions with multiple speakers, the first opinion stated is often not the "final conclusion" (the opinion may change during the conversation). Listen to the end before deciding.
④ In questions answered while looking at a chart, check the chart labels and units before the audio begins (as with the chart-matching technique in Lesson 3).
- The audio is played twice in the early part and once in the latter part, making the latter part more difficult
- Read the choices before the audio and predict what will be asked (previewing)
- Limit notes to numbers, negative words, and transition words
- In questions with multiple speakers, listen to the end before deciding on the conclusion
Practice
- For which format is previewing more important (twice-played or once-played), and why?
- If the choices are words representing places (station, library, park, station), what can you predict from previewing?
- Why should you not decide the conclusion based only on the first statement in a question with multiple speakers?