TOEFL IBT LISTENING PRACTICE TEST 25 FROM TOEFL IBT NAVIGATOR SOLUTION
KEY
1.B
2. C
3. A
4. D
5. C
6. D
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. C
14. B
15. A
16. C
17. C
18. D
19. C
20. A
21. D
22. B
23. D
24. C
25. A
26. A, B, D
27. C
28. B
29. B
30. B, C
31. D
32. A
33. B
34. B
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TOEFL IBT LISTENING PRACTICE TEST 25 FROM TOEFL IBT NAVIGATOR TRANSCRIPTS || Gap-Filling
N: Listen to the following conversation between a student and a professor.
P: Yes, hello? Don’t be shy. Please come in.
S: HI. Are you Dr. Johnson? Dr. Claire Johnson?
P: Yup. That’s me. How can I help you?
S: Well, we’ve never met before, because I’m not in the history department. But, my name is Marc Singer. I’m actually a drama student.
P: Hi, Marc. Are you here about taking a class In the history department? We have a number of very good introductory classes for people who are only casually Interested In history. A lot of the drama and language students really enjoy them, and the classes can count towards your science requirements. It’s easier to take a history class than introductory calculus.
S: Thank you. But, I was really hoping to do something a little more advanced. There Is a class, actually one that I believe you teach, called “War and Television’1 that I would really love to take,
P: That might be a problem, Marc. You see, that class is a requirement for the fourth-year honor students. A lot of people need to take It, so It’s really rare for us to allow a student from another department In. There just isn’t enough space. I’m sorry,
S: Well… I see. Dr. Johnson, I have more than just a passing knowledge of history. You see, my father Is a real history buff. Even the bedtime stories he read me were related to history,
P: I can appreciate your interest. But, what if I allowed you Into the course and then a fourth-year student was unable to graduate? I wouldn’t be very popular with the students. Besides that, there are a lot of requirements one has to fulfill prior to getting Into my class.
S: Can I ask what they are?
P: Sure, There is a list of five classes. Let’s see, there’re Writing History, The Economics of War, Europe: An Overview and two others that I can’t remember. Students need to have completed at least three of those classes, and they need to have attained at least a B average.
S: Well … I’ve taken two of those classes, and I received A’s in both. Are there other requirements?
P: I wish that I could say that a keen Interest In the relationship between war and television was a requirement, but then I guess a lot fewer students would be allowed Into the class.
S: I wish it were required, too. You see, I’ve read all your papers on the topic. I really liked how you explained how television shows could change how people think about wars. Like, support for the Second World War peaked twenty years after the war because of the television shows about it that appeared during the sixties.
P: I have to say, Marc, I really wish I could let you into the class. You say that your interest In history comes from your father?
S: Right. I spent my entire childhood visiting museums and reading about history with my father. He loves It. I guess that’s why he became a history professor.
P: Wait. Singer. You aren’t John Singer’s kid, are you? Professor John Singer from State University?
S: Yeah. That’s my dad. But he’s not at State University anymore. He retired last year. Now he spends all his time working on a book about Alexander the Great.
P: OK. I’ll tell you what. I can’t let you Into the class next term because you’re short one required class. But, If you take one more history class next term, then I’ll do my best to get you Into my class two terms from now. How does that sound?
S: Sounds great. Thanks for your help.
P: Don’t thank me yet, Marc because although I’ll try my hardest to get you into the class, I can’t make any promises, ok?
S: Sure. Should I tell my dad you said hello?
P: Please do. And come back next term sometime. We can talk more then.
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N Listen to part of a lecture from a biology class.
P: OK, uh, today we’re going to look at a very special insect. Its class is Insects, and Its order Is Hymenoptera, which means It has a winged membrane. Can any one guess what it is? No? OK. One more hint: Its genus and species is Apis melilfera scutellata. Anyone? Well … I guess you likely know its more common name, killer bee. Now, today we’re going to try to decide if this little bug deserves the name It has. The first question we should ask Is where did these bees come from. Actually, they exist because of a mistake that scientists made while trying to
crossbreed North American honeybees with more aggressive bees from Africa. Specifically, the African bees are from south of the Sahara Desert. The hope was that the new bee would be as safe as an average honeybee but be able to produce a lot of honey, like the African bee. But, In 1956, Brazilian scientists lost control of their new “Africanized” bees, which started to spread throughout South and Central America. By October of 1990, the killer bees were found In America, south of Texas.
So, what’s life like for the average killer bee? Well, there are four main stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Let me check my notes here … yes … an egg only needs twenty-one days to become an adult female worker, sixteen for It to become a queen, or about twenty-five days for It to become a drone. Remember, the drones are the male bees and it’s their Job to mate with the queen and defend the hive, but the females can attack, too. The hives can spread quickly, for a number of reasons. One, the queen can lay about 1,500 eggs In a day. When there are too many bees In the hive, they will swarm. Swarming means that a large number of them will fly away from the hive to form a new one. Now, the average honeybee hive will do the same thing. But, there are some important differences. One, honeybees will swarm only when they are overpopulated. Killer bees can swarm for the same reason, but also If the temperature is too warm or too cold. Also, and this is part of what makes them so dangerous, killer bees are much more aggressive when they swarm. If you are In the path of a swarm of them, you’ve got a seventy-five percent chance of a deadly attack.
- So, they’re dangerous. They attack when they swarm and If they feel the hive is in danger and even If they hear a loud high-pitched noise. Even worse, they will follow you for as much as a quarter mile to get you. Here’s something even stranger. If they are after you, don’t try to jump Into water thinking you’ll be safe. Killer bees may be slow fliers, but they’re not dumb. They’ll just wait above the water for you to come up for air. But, they are more dangerous to other bees than to us. Because they can spread so quickly and are much more aggressive, they can dominate an area, basically, uh, killing all the honeybees already there. OK. Think of it this way. Honeybees produce honey, which we eat, and wax, which we use for everything from candles to shoe polish. Most importantly, honeybees pollinate crops and flowers, which Is a big help to American agriculture. Killer bees produce a little honey and some wax, but It’s too dangerous to harvest. As they destroy native bee populations, killer bees affect our economy negatively.
What can we do? Well … some say we shouldn’t worry too much. But, others fear that the bees will adapt to colder cilmates and continue to spread north, wiping out honeybees as they go along. There have been attempts to Inject honeybee sperm into killer bee queens, In the hopes that they will produce less aggressive offspring. Yet, it hasn’t been done enough to know if it will really make any kind of difference. OK. So, killer bees do deserve their name, but mostly because they kill other bees. The problem Is that if they manage to kill enough of them, it’ll destroy our agricultural businesses.
N Listen to part of a lecture from a political science class.
P: During this class we’re going to be talking about a very important name in political thought. He’s actually known outside of the field, although his reputation Is not all that wonderful. But, that’s going to be what we’re going to look at for the next couple of classes: Does this guy deserve his nasty reputation? Who am I talking about? OK. I’ll end the suspense. I’m talking about Niccolo Machlavelll, author of the most famous book on politics, “The Prince.” Although the book is widely read, the author never gained anything from it but fame. Written In 1532, It was not published until five years after his death. Now, I’m sure that at least some of you know about this guy, because of the expression “Machiavellian.” Usually, when we use this expression to describe a person, we mean a person who has no morals, a person who will do anything to succeed. Is this a fair use of the name?
In many respects, the answer is yes. Look, the man was not trying to write a book on how to be a good person. He was, instead, trying to present the methods a ruler must use in order to successfully gain and maintain control over others, There were no questions about the morality of the decisions a ruler must make. There was only the pursuit of power. According to this way of thinking, the method, any method, that produces the best results for the country and Its ruler is the best choice. Now, remember that the title of the book was “The Prince,” because Machiavelii was writing for rulers, not the ruled. Should the average person be moral? Sure. Moral behavior helps societies to function. Everyone agrees with this idea, even the rulers, which Is why we have laws to punish people who hurt others through Immorality. Machiavelii even told rulers to maintain the appearance of morality, because this would encourage the ruled to follow their examples. One of the most often quoted sections of the book explains that, “It Is better to be feared than loved although It is not better to be hated, nor to eschew virtue and justice when this poses no threat to power.” That last part there, where he talks about “eschewing,” means that you should be virtuous and just because It sets a good example, but only do it when It won’t affect your power.
Now, uh, what are the exact qualities of a good ruler? Not worrying about morality Is one. The others? Well, leaders must be good students of history and be willing to act like the emperors of ancient Rome. They must make clear to the ruled the value of government, be careful with their money, and only ask for advice when absolutely necessary. You’ll notice, I hope, that a lot of these qualities are the same ones business schools try to teach.
Most importantly, they must maintain a complete monopoly of violence. And, this is something that others have talked about as well. Take, uh, Max Weber, for example. OK. Only the military, which Is controlled by the ruler, Is allowed to have guns and enforce the laws and make war on other communities. What is the end result? Well, If you ask Machiavelii, he’d say that what you would have would be a nice, peaceful community. No one can challenge the ruler, so there is political stability. Also, people cannot get more power than their neighbors. Everyone Is equally powerless under the ruler, This means that they will simply focus on trade and making money. That makes the ruler happy, because he can tax the citizens and add to the state’s wealth. All right. My original question was, “Does Machiavelii deserve his bad reputation?” Part of the answer Is yes, although part of it is also no. Everyone, to some extent, uses Machiavellian techniques in their everyday lives, including making and breaking rules, telling the truth and lying, misdirecting people. We use, and sometimes need, all of them. In fact, some psychologists now believe that those who suffer from autism may actually lack “Machiavellian Intelligence,” which is needed for both cooperation and deceit.
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N Listen to the following conversation between a student and a professor.
P: Yes, come in. Oh, hi, Rachel. We missed you in class yesterday. Where were you?
S: Sorry about that, Professor Jones, I had a big biology test I had to study for. I won’t miss your class again.
P: Well, If there is something you want to talk about, It’ll have to be quick. I’ve got a staff meeting In about five minutes.
S: Well, I talked with Jane, the girl who sits beside me in class, and she said that you guys watched a movie about the history of jazz music in America. I was wondering if I could borrow the tape from you. I know I missed class, but I don’t want to get too far behind.
P: Well, I guess I could lend you the tape. Do you promise to bring it back as soon as you’re done with It? There were a few other students missing from class the other day. I’m expecting them to come looking for the tape, too.
S: Sure. I’ll watch it in the audio-visual room in the library right now and drop it off on my way home. How long Is the movie?
P: The class was fifty minutes long, and we got through the movie and had about twenty minutes of discussion … so I guess it’s about thirty minutes long. Please, try to get It back to my office within an hour, OK? Did you get any notes from Jane?
S: No. I saw her just for a minute in the student lounge. I don’t think she had her notes on her anyway. She had her bag with her, so I guess she was on her way home. Can’t I just take notes as I watch the movie?
P: I guess you could, but there was a lot that we covered In class that was not In the movie. Like, do you know where the word jazz comes from?
S: No. Was that in the movie?
P: No, It wasn’t. Actually, it’s sort of a trick question. No one knows where the name comes from. Some think that it comes from an African world, but others suggest it comes from an old song that slaves used to sing when working in the fields. What about, “Who are the greatest jazz musicians of the last fifty years?” Do you know the answer to that one?
S: Well… isn’t that in the movie?
P: Nope. It was another trick question. Look, the guy who made that movie actually had a lot of complaints about that part. He Included the history of jazz from Its very beginnings to about 1960. Everything that happened since 1961 all the way up to the present was left out, Even a lot of stuff about Miles Davis was not included.
S: Why? Isn’t Miles Davis one of the most famous people In jazz?
P: Sure, but only time will tell If he was one of the greatest. The director claimed that although we can come to conclusions about the past, It’s impossible to do that for the recent past. It’s sort of an Interesting Idea, actually. What I’m trying to say here Is that I think you’re going to need the notes from class, not just the movie.
S: Well, I guess I could watch the movie now, take some notes as I do that, and then talk with Jane on Monday.
P: OK. And one more thing: don’t miss any more classes, ok? Listen, I have to run to that meeting I was telling you about. Here’s the tape. Bring It back in an hour, and I’ll see you In class on Tuesday.
S: Ok, Professor Jones. See you then
N Listen to part of a lecture from a sociology class.
P: Today, we’re going to be looking at how people interact within groups. Now, let’s imagine a perfect example of people working together to achieve a goal. Let’s say … musicians playing together. Take a symphony orchestra, for starters. No one person could possibly play all the instruments required. Only by working with a large group can the song be played. So, we can see that groups can make things happen that people can’t make happen alone. OK. Groups are good. You don’t have to take my word for it, though. People have been working in groups since time started. Men would hunt In parties while groups of women and children gathered plants. Being in a group also really aids In learning. Once one person in the group discovers, say, fire, he or she can teach it to everyone else. If you’re all by yourself, you’ve got to discover and master everything without any help. Certainly, that’s the hard way to go.
- Groups are good and allow for divisions of labor, multiple tasks being performed at the same time, like with the musicians, and fast and easy transfers of knowledge. Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, let’s decide on what we mean when we say group. In 1976, Dr. Michael Shaw defined a group as two or more people interacting with one another in such a way that each person influences and is influenced by each other person. He also said that the members must interact with one another, have the same goals, and have some sort of shared identity, which makes them see themselves as different from other groups. And how does a group form? Well, take this class, for example. The first day of class Is the forming stage. You come together and everyone Is really polite, because no one knows anyone else. Then, there Is the storming stage, where you’ve got a lot of tension because people are trying to get status and Influence. Like, who is going to be the best student, the professor’s favorite? Once that’s all been decided, the norming stage Is started. Here, all the people in the group agree on basic positions and rules. Say, Bob here In the front row will be the best and Tony In the back there, sorry, Tony, will be the one always sleeping during the lectures. The final stage Is the performing one, where the group can finally function as a team and accomplish something. Hopefully, your accomplishment will be everyone getting a high grade, right?
So, we know that groups are good, they help us, and also how they form. But, could there be situations where groups do not work well together?
It’s more common than you think, and Is not related to the people in the group not liking one another. Let’s take a factory with five workers who make shoes. Each worker, alone, can make three pairs of shoes a day. So, how many can they make as a group in one day? Not fifteen, Actually, It’ll be more along the lines of, say, twelve. Why? Well, It’s due to something called the Ringelmann Effect, which states that there is an Inverse relationship between the size of the group and the contributions of each individual member, The more people there are, the less each one tries.
Why? Let’s say you’re watching the Olympics and you see the top skier. Chances are you’ll remember his name the next day. How about the rowing team? Never, You’ll never remember all of their names. You’ll just remember the country they are from. OK? Right. And the people on those teams know that. So, there is less reason for them to try hard because, In the end, their Individual performance will not be evaluated. There is no joy In winning nor Is there shame in losing. They do not win or lose. It’s the group that wins or loses. Which is why I always give Individual marks In my classes. It’s so that everyone will try harder, because they know I will be giving them a mark based solely on their effort.
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N Listen to part of a lecture from an astronomy class.
P: Welcome to class, everyone. Make sure that you take lots of notes, right, because this stuff is going to be on your final exam. Ok. Well, today’s topic Is Titan, which Is a moon of the planet Saturn. Like most of the objects In our solar system, Titan was named after a mythological god. Actually, the Titans were a group of gods, who, unfortunately, basically lost their Jobs to the Olympians … but that’s a different story. Right. Titan. I guess I should start by saying that Titan looks more like a planet than a moon.
For one thing, it’s really, really big. It’s the second largest moon in the solar system; only Jupiter’s moon Ganymede Is larger. In fact, Titan is larger than both Mercury and Pluto. Another thing Is that it has a very planet-like atmosphere. Its atmosphere is tenser than the ones found on Mercury, Earth, Mars, and Pluto. What would happen if you decided to take a vacation on Titan? Well, you’d get some pretty good exercises, for one thing. The pressure on the surface is about 1.6 bar, so that means gravity Is sixty per cent stronger there than on Earth. Just walking around would require a lot of effort. What else? Well, you’d have some serious trouble breathing. Mostly, the air there is made up of nitrogen and other hydrocarbon elements. But, you’d have nice things to look at, I guess, because the hydrocarbon gives everything a nice orange hue. And, you’d want to remember to bring a really good winter coat. The surface temperature on Titan is about -178°C,
A smart travel agent might tell you to wait a few million years before you go, actually. By that time, there might be oxygen and life there. Here’s why: Some believe that Titan’s surface Is partially covered with massive lakes of ethane that contain methane. This methane, from chemical reactions started by energy from the sun, creates ethane, acetylene, ethylene, and hydrogen cyanide. And remember I said that there were a lot of hydrocarbons there, too? Well, the hydrocarbons and the hydrogen cyanide are really Important In the creation of amino acids, which are needed for life to begin. Basically, scientists believe that Titan now Is like Earth was millions of years ago. If you Just wait a while, ok, a long while, it might develop along the same lines as Earth has.
Well, what else can I tell you? Let me see … what about the surface of Titan, the landscape? For starters, for a long time we really didn’t know what It looked like, Remember, it has a really thick atmosphere, so we couldn’t get a good look at what was below it. But, not too long ago, we got some nice pictures of the surface from a probe that the Europeans managed to land on the surface. What did it tell us? Well, it confirmed a lot of what we had already guessed, which Is good. If It had contradicted everything we had thought, then that would have made us unsure about all the things we’ve guessed about other planets and moons around us. That would have been a major problem. What about new things? We know that the surface Is soft, with a thin hard crust over It. It would feel something like wet sand, I guess. And there is a constant wind of about fifteen miles per hour on the surface. Sort of sounds like a weather report, doesn’t It? And what about the atmosphere that we couldn’t see through before? Don’t worry. It’s about twelve miles off the surface; below that it’s nice and clear. That’s all we have time for today. I’ll see everyone next Thursday.