Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.
In TOEIC Listening Part 4 you hear short talks by one speaker, such as announcements, voicemail messages, presentations, advertisements, news reports and excerpts from meetings. Each talk has three questions, and you can read the questions before the talk begins.
Because there is only one speaker, you cannot wait for a second person to react. Instead, you use the structure of the talk. Most business talks are organised in a predictable way:
The three questions usually follow the same order: one about the beginning, one about a detail, and one about the end.
| Question | Where to listen | Useful clues |
|---|---|---|
| What is the purpose of the talk? / What is being advertised? | the first one or two sentences | I'm calling to…, I want to tell you about…, Introducing… |
| Who most likely is the speaker? / Who are the listeners? | the opening, and topic words throughout | Welcome, new staff…, As your branch manager…, words like patients, guests, shoppers |
| What does the speaker say about…? | the middle | numbers, reasons, changes: listen for paraphrase |
| Why does the speaker say “…”? | the sentences just before and after the quotation | think about the speaker's intention, not the literal words |
| What are listeners asked to do? / What will happen next? | the last two or three sentences | Please…, Make sure you…, I'd like you to…, After the break, we'll… |
Listen to five openings of business talks. Choose the best answer for each one.
Read the three questions. Decide where in the talk each answer will probably come.
The strong listener used the structure of the advertisement: problem, product, benefits, offer, action. Knowing that structure tells you when each answer will arrive.
Read the questions first. Then listen and choose the best answer.
Read the questions first. Then listen and choose the best answer.
Read the questions first. Then listen and choose the best answer.
Listen to the endings of five talks. What will the listeners do next? Choose the correct option for each ending. There are two options you do not need.
Save words to review them later with flashcards.
“Sign up before the end of March to get the discount.”
“Start your free trial on our website.”
“Most of the new jobs will be in assembly.”
“Strong demand led the company to build a new factory.”
“The chief executive announced the plan this morning.”
“We'll have more in our seven o'clock bulletin.”
“More staff will work the midday shift.”
“Please check the draft rota and reply by Wednesday.”
“She rents a desk in a co-working space near the station.”
“Membership includes networking evenings.”
“Many freelancers use co-working spaces.”
“Every advertisement ends with a call to action.”
