Listening Comprehension
Listening Comprehension
The Tottori Prefectural English listening section checks whether you can extract concrete information from short spoken dialogues and monologues: times, prices, locations, directions, and speakers' intentions. You often choose a picture or a short written response. Because each recording is played once or twice, your preparation must be active, not passive.
Core rules
- Read the answer choices before the audio starts; this tells you what to listen for (a number, a place, a reason).
- Identify the question word: when, where, who, why, how much. Wrong choices often match a word you hear but answer a different question.
- Write digits, not words, for numbers and times. Distinguish -teen and -ty endings (thirteen vs thirty) by listening to the stress.
- Listen for contrast words: but, however, actually, instead. They usually correct the first piece of information.
Worked example
You hear: 'The library usually closes at 6:30, but today it closes at 5:00 because of a staff meeting.' The question asks: 'What time does the library close today?' Reasoning: 'usually' gives the regular time; 'but today' signals an exception. The cause 'because of a staff meeting' confirms the change. The correct answer is 5:00. The trap answer 6:30 is the usual time, not today's time.
Traps
- Choosing a number you hear without checking the question (e.g., 6:30 for 'today').
- Missing a negative: 'not open' vs 'open'.
- Confusing similar-sounding words: 'white' vs 'write', 'course' vs 'cause'.
- Answering from the first sentence when the speaker corrects later.