TOEFL Listening Part A - Skill 4: Passives

TOEFL Listening Part A 

SKILL 4: PASSIVES

It is sometimes difficult to understand who or what is doing the action in a passive sentence. This problem is often tested in Listening Part A.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

      (man)       :  Is that a new chair? 

      (woman)  :  Yes, we just bought it last week.

      (narrator) :  What does the woman mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) She brought the chair with her.

(B) The chair was lost for a week.

(C) The chair was purchased recently.

(D) She bought the last chair from the store.

In this conversation, the woman uses an active idea, we. . . bought it [the chair]. The correct answer uses the passive idea the chair was purchased. Therefore, the best answer to the question above is answer (C).

 You should note the following about passive sentences in Listening Part A.

PASSIVE STATEMENTS

1.  If the conversation contains a passive statement, the answer to the question is often an active statement. 2.  If the conversation contains an active statement, the answer to the question is often a passive statement.

NOTE: Check carefully who or what is doing the action in these questions.

EXERCISE 4: In this exercise, each of the correct answers is either a passive restatement of an active sentence or an active restatement of a passive sentence. Read the short conversation, and underline the key active or passive statement. Then read the question, and choose the best answer to the question. Make sure you understand who or what is doing the action in these passive sentences.

1. (man)       : What happened to your notebook?
    (woman)  :  I left it in the cafeteria. 
    (narrator) :  What does the woman imply?

    (A) The cafeteria is to the left.
    (B) She left a note on the cafeteria door.
    (C) She took some notes in the cafeteria.
    (D) The notebook was left in the cafeteria.

2. (man)       : When are we going to talk about the problem with the copy machine?
    (woman)  : It will be discussed at the meeting tomorrow.
    (narrator) : What does the woman mean?

    (A) She needs to make copies before the meeting.
    (B) They will talk about the problem tomorrow.
    (C) It is a problem to have a meeting.
    (D) They must discuss whether or not to have a meeting.

3. (woman)   :  Did you correct the paper? 
    (man)        :  I checked every single line again and again.
    (narrator)  :  What does the man mean?

 

   (A) The paper has been thoroughly corrected.
   (B) He wrote many of the lines over and over.
   (C) The checkmarks were on every line of the paper.
   (D) He wrote a check for the paper.

TOEFL EXERCISE 4: In this exercise, listen carefully to the short conversation and question on the recording, and then choose the best answer to the question. You should pay particular attention to passives.

Now BEGIN THE RECORDING AT TOEFL EXERCISE 4.

1.

(A) Her family just arrived.
(B) She must pack to go visit her family.
(C) She opened the door to greet her family.
(D) The box from her family was opened.

2.

(A) He completed the report.
(B) He’s coming to work on the report.
(C) The report is due tomorrow morning.
(D) The report still needs an infinite amount of work.

3.

(A) The parents are in bed now.
(B) The children were allowed to stay up.
(C) The parents stayed away from the children.
(D) The children have gone to bed.

4.

(A) He got lost.
(B) The door was not in front of the house.
(C) He did not need a key to the door.
(D) The key was lost.

5.

(A) He picked out some flowered wallpaper for the dining room.
(B) The dining room table has flowers painted on it.
(C) The flowers were placed on the table.
(D) The flowers were grown in the dining room.

6.

(A) Nothing is really the matter.
(B) She stole some money.
(C) She left her purse in the store.
(D) Someone took her purse.

7.

(A) He’s quite scared.
(B) He likes her pets.
(C) He would like to pick up a little snake.
(D) He frightens the snakes.

8.

(A) She wrote directions in a letter.
(B) Instructions were followed exactly.
(C) A new director has been appointed.
(D) She would follow the man to the housing project.

9.

(A) They can cook supper in no time.
(B) He doesn't know how to play tennis.
(C) He’s a super cook.
(D) Dinner needs to be prepared.

10.

(A) The exam really is tomorrow.
(B) There was a change in the content of the exam.
(C) The professor moved the exam to another day.
(D) They have to change their plans for tomorrow.

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