Listening Directions & Tips & Tricks – Starter TOEIC – Third Edition – Building TOEIC Test-taking Skills – Anne Taylor – Casey Malarcher

Part I: Picture Description

📘Directions: For each question in this part, you will hear four statements about a picture in your textbook. When you hear the statements, you must select the one statement that best describes what you see in the picture. Then find the number of the question on your answer sheet and mark your answer. The statements will not be printed in your test book and will be spoken only one time.

Look at the sample below.

Now listen to the four statements.
(A) The woman is using a musical instrument.
(B) The woman is typing on a computer.
(C) The woman is playing a video game.
(D) The woman is sitting behind the table.

Sample Answer

Statement (B), “The woman is typing on a computer,” best describes what you see in the picture. Therefore, you should choose answer (B).

💡 TIPS
🎨 Preview the picture before the statements are read. Ask yourself, “Who?” “What?” “Where?”
🔎 Focus on the meaning of the statements as a whole.
⚡ Answer the question as quickly as possible. If you don’t know the answer, guess and begin previewing the next picture.

🧩 TRICKS
🔊 Incorrect answers may contain similar sounding words.
e.g., The woman is tying at the table.
🚫 Incorrect answers may give wrong pronouns, numbers, and locations.
e.g., He is typing at the table. / There are two typewriters. / The woman is sitting under the table.
🔄 Incorrect answers may include a correct word.
e.g., The typewriter is for sale. / The woman is sitting with some friends.

Part II: Questions and Responses

📘Directions: You will hear a question or statement followed by three possible responses in English. Each will be spoken only once and will not appear in your test booklet. Choose the most appropriate response to the question or statement and mark your answer by selecting (A), (B), or (C) on your answer sheet.

Now, listen to the following statements.

You will hear:
“Good morning, John. How are you?”

The responses you will hear are:
(A) I’m fine, thank you.
(B) I’m in the living room.
(C) My name is John.

The correct response to “How are you?” is (A) “I’m fine, thank you.” So, you should mark answer (A) on your answer sheet.

💡 TIPS
🔤 The first word of a question can indicate the type of response needed.
Words like what, where, who, why, and how usually ask for specific information.
Words like do, does, did, are, is, will, and can often require a “yes” or “no” answer.
⚖️ Questions that include “or” and ask for a choice do not require yes/no responses.
e.g., “Did you stay home or go out last night?” “I went to a movie.”
🗣️ Sometimes, you may hear a statement instead of a question, but it still requires a response.
e.g., “Thanks for dinner.” “You’re welcome.”

🧩 TRICKS
👂 Be mindful of homonyms—words that sound alike but have different meanings.
e.g., two, too, to
🎭 Watch out for tag questions, which are short questions added to the end of statements.
e.g., “That movie was great, wasn’t it?”
🔄 Be aware of indirect answers. Sometimes a response to a yes/no question doesn’t include “yes” or “no.”
e.g., “Is there enough gas in the car?” “I just filled it yesterday.”

Part III: Short Conversations

📘Directions: You will hear several short conversations between two people. After each conversation, you will need to answer three questions about what the speakers discussed. Choose the best answer for each question and mark it on your answer sheet as (A), (B), (C), or (D). Each conversation will be played only once and will not appear in your test booklet.

💡 TIPS
🔍 Preview the questions: Before the conversation starts, quickly review the questions. If possible, take a look at the answer choices too.
🧠 Visualize the setting: As you listen, try to picture where the speakers might be or what they’re talking about.
✅ Consider all options: Read through each answer choice before making your selection.

🧩 TRICKS
🚫 Beware of misleading answers: Some answers may be correct statements but unrelated to the question. Avoid making a quick choice; review all options carefully.
📝 Be cautious with numbers: Distracting numbers, such as dates, times, or quantities, may be mentioned. Preview the question to ensure you’re focused on the relevant information.

Part IV: Short Talks

📘Directions: You will hear a series of short talks delivered by a single speaker. For each talk, you’ll need to answer three questions about what the speaker discusses. Choose the best answer for each question and mark the corresponding letter (A), (B), (C), or (D) on your answer sheet. Each talk will only be played once and will not be printed in your test book.

💡 TIPS
🎧 Listen carefully to the introduction before the talk begins. It will tell you how many questions are associated with the talk and the type of information you’ll hear (such as a news report, weather forecast, advertisement, recorded message, announcement, etc.).
📋 Preview the questions beforehand if possible. This will help you concentrate on the details that are relevant to the questions.
✅ Start answering the questions immediately after the talk ends. Don’t wait for any additional prompts.

🧩 TRICKS
⚠️ Be mindful of common traps similar to those found in Parts I–III.