Study Guide

Field 251: World Language: Chinese (Mandarin) 
Interpretive Listening

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Directions for Interpretive Listening Section

This section of the test contains multiple-choice questions that involve listening to recorded excerpts. Each excerpt will be followed by one or more multiple-choice questions. Each multiple-choice question has four answer choices. After listening to an excerpt, read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the ONE best answer. Each listening excerpt will be played twice.

The first recorded excerpt will begin playing automatically once you advance to the next screen. There will be a period of silence at the beginning of each recording. During this silence, you should familiarize yourself with the test question(s) presented on the screen.

Once the audio begins, you will not be able to pause, stop, or replay it. Therefore, listen carefully, then answer the question(s). Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will NOT be penalized for guessing.

You will not be able to go back and review your answers to questions in this section of the test. Once you move to the next question, you will not be able to go back to previous questions in this section. Therefore, be sure to select your answer carefully before you move to the next question. The next recorded excerpt will not begin playing until you advance to the next question.

Please be aware that the visual enhancements Example of the Color Scheme visual enhancement control and Example of the Font Size visual enhancement control are NOT available during this section of the test. Please DO NOT use these features until you have completed all listening items and proceeded to the remaining sections of the test.

Click the Next button when you have finished reading these directions and are ready to begin the listening section of the test. Be sure you have your headset on before proceeding.

Select the Next button to continue.

Sample Interpretive Listening Questions

[The examinee will hear an audio recording, which includes a 20-second pause at the beginning.]

Listen to the dialogue at a post office; then answer the questions. You will hear the dialogue twice.

[The dialogue shown below is representative of a transcript used to make an audio recording on the actual test. It is shown here for study purposes only. The examinee will not see transcripts that accompany audio recordings on the actual test.]

(one male and one female speaker)

[Simplified]

Female: ??,?????????

Male: ????????????

Female: ?????????,?????????????????

Male: ??

Female: ???????????????,??????????,??????

Male: ?????????????????,????????

Female: ???????????

Male: ???????

Female: ???????????????,??????!

Male: ???,?????????????????????

Female: ?????…… 856?,1000???????????????

 

[Traditional]

Female: ??,?????????

Male: ????????????

Female: ?????????,?????????????????

Male: ??

Female: ???????????????,??????????,??????

Male: ?????????????????,????????

Female: ???????????

Male: ???????

Female: ???????????????,??????!

Male: ???,?????????????????????

Female: ?????…… 856?,1000???????????????

Now you will hear the dialogue again.

[The examinee will hear the dialogue again.]

Now answer the questions.

[The examinee will see on screen ONLY:]

Click "Next" when the recording ends to answer the questions.

[Each of the following 4 items will be presented on an individual screen on the actual test.]

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

1.
??????????????????
??????????????????

  1. ??????
    ??????
  2. ???????????
    ???????????
  3. ?????????
    ?????????
  4. ??????????
    ??????????
Answer
Correct Response: B. At the end of the dialogue, the post office clerk states how much the shipping will cost ("1000??????????????? / 1000???????????????"). Asking whether the shipping can be paid by credit card is a logical response to the clerk's comment.

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

2.
????,????????,???:
????,????????,???:

  1. ????????????
    ????????????
  2. ????????????
    ????????????
  3. ?????????????
    ?????????????
  4. ????????????
    ????????????
Answer
Correct Response: C. After instructing the client on how to fill the mailing form, the post office clerk asks the client to open the parcel so that she can repack it herself ("???????????????,?????????? / ???????????????,??????????").

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

3.
????????????????????:
????????????????????:

  1. ??????????
    ??????????
  2. ???????????
    ???????????
  3. ??????????
    ??????????
  4. ?????????
    ?????????
Answer
Correct Response: A. When the post office clerk asks what is inside the parcel, the client responds that it is an antique desktop screen and asks the clerk to be careful with packing since it is fragile ("?????????????????,???????? / ?????????????????,????????").

Objective 0002 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

4.
?????????????????,?????:
?????????????????,?????:

  1. ????
    ????
  2. ????
    ????
  3. ????
    ????
  4. ???
    ???
Answer
Correct Response: D. Since the post office clerk told him that air mail is faster than surface mail ("????????????? / ?????????????"), the customer decides to send the parcel by air because he wants the parcel to arrive on time for his mother's birthday ("???,??????????????? / ???,???????????????").

[The examinee will hear an audio recording, which includes a 20-second pause at the beginning.]

Listen to the dialogue between a bank clerk and a customer; then answer the questions. You will hear the dialogue twice.

[The dialogue shown below is representative of a transcript used to make an audio recording on the actual test. It is shown here for study purposes only. The examinee will not see transcripts that accompany audio recordings on the actual test.]

(one male and one female speaker—female speaker would like to open a bank account and credit card account in a bank)

[Simplified]

Male: ??,????????????

Female: ????????????

Male: ??,??????????,?????????,??????????????????????

Female: ?,???????

Male: ???????????????

Female: ???????,?????????,????

Male: ???!??????????,????????????

Female: ??,????????

Male: ?????????????,?????????

Female: ??,???????????

Male: ???????????????,???????????????????,?????????????

 

[Traditional]

Male: ??,????????????

Female: ????????????

Male: ??,??????????,?????????,??????????????????????

Female: ?,???????

Male: ???????????????

Female: ???????,?????????,????

Male: ???!??????????,????????????

Female: ??,????????

Male: ?????????????,?????????

Female: ??,???????????

Male: ???????????????,???????????????????,?????????????

Now you will hear the dialogue again.

[The examinee will hear the dialogue again.]

Now answer the questions.

[The examinee will see on screen ONLY:]

Click "Next" when the recording ends to answer the questions.

[Each of the following 3 items will be presented on an individual screen on the actual test.]

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

5.
??????,?????????????????
??????,?????????????????

  1. ?????
    ?????
  2. ???
    ???
  3. ??????
    ??????
  4. ?????
    ?????
Answer
Correct Response: D. When the client states that she wants to open a bank account, the bank clerk asks the client to complete a form and show a valid ID ("??,??????????,?????????,?????????????????????? / ??,??????????,?????????,??????????????????????").

Objective 0001 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

6.
????????????,???????????
????????????,???????????

  1. ?????
    ?????
  2. ?????
    ?????
  3. ??????
    ??????
  4. ???????
    ???????
Answer
Correct Response: C. The bank clerk states that the customer's bank account is now open and provides the customer with her new account passbook that she can take with her ("?????????????,????????? / ?????????????,?????????").

Objective 0002 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).

7.
????????,????????:
????????,????????:

  1. ?????????????
    ?????????????
  2. ????????????????
    ????????????????
  3. ?????????????
    ?????????????
  4. ????????????
    ????????????
Answer
Correct Response: B. At the end of the conversation, the bank clerk has the client's completed credit card application form from the customer and explains the next step, which is to submit the form to the bank's approval department ("???????????????,??????????????????? / ???????????????,???????????????????"). The bank clerk will likely submit the form right away so that it can be approved.